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Cost of diagnosing and treating cognitive complaints: One-year cost-evaluation study in a patient cohort from a Slovenian memory clinic Cover

Cost of diagnosing and treating cognitive complaints: One-year cost-evaluation study in a patient cohort from a Slovenian memory clinic

Open Access
|Mar 2022

Figures & Tables

Figure 1

Changes in diagnostic groups from first to last visit.

Sensitivity analysis of informal and social care costs in patients with and without dementia_

Patients with dementia (n=120)Patients without dementia (n=92)Difference
ADLs (hours/month)1187741
Replacement costsEUR 2,028 (1,728–2,327)EUR 1,312 (978–1,646)EUR 716
ADLs and supervision (hours/month)18810286
Opportunity costsEUR 1,392 (1,169–1,617)EUR 790 (560–1,019)EUR 602
Replacement costsEUR 3,173 (2,663–363)EUR 1,798 (1,275–2,322)EUR 1,375
Home help costs (EUR/month)EUR 53 (21–85)EUR 60 (23–98)/
Nursing home costs (EUR/month)EUR 114 (69–158)EUR 15 (-37–66)EUR 99
Total costs with informal care ADL replacement costs (EUR/month)EUR 2,174 (1,873–2,475)EUR 1,392 (1,056–1,723)EUR 782
Total costs with informal care ADL and supervision opportunity costs (EUR/month)EUR 1,495 (1,265–1,726)EUR 872 (635–1,108)EUR 623
Total costs with informal care ADL and supervision replacement costs (EUR/month)EUR 3,369 (2,856–3,880)EUR 1,895 (1,370–2,420)EUR 1474

Demographics, comorbidities, cognitive status and medication of patients at the Centre for Cognitive Impairments_

All patients (n=720)SCI and MCI (n=322)Dementias (n=258)Psychiatric disorders and other dg. (n=140)p-value
Age, mean (SD)73 (13)72 (10)80 (8)61 (15)<0.001*
Women, n (%)427 (59.3)189 (58.7)149 (57.8)89 (63.6)0.506
Employed47 (6.5)19 (5.9)3 (1.2)25 (17.9)<0.001
Residency
    living alone114 (23.4)58 (27.5)46 (22.2)10 (14.3)
    with a partner or caregiver363 (74.4)148 (70.1)156 (75.4)59 (84.3)0.199***
    nursing home/institution11 (2.3)5 (2.4)5 (2.4)1 (1.4)
MMSE, median (IQR)27 (4)28 (4)22 (6)28 (5)<0.001**
MMSE 0-107 (1.5)07 (3.1)00.024***
MMSE 11-2098 (20.3)11 (5.0)81 (36.3)6 (14.6)<0.001
MMSE 21-30377 (78.2)207 (95.0)135 (60.5)35 (85.4)<0.001
MoCA, median (IQR)22 (7)24 (6)18 (6)25 (4)<0.001**
Antidementives348 (48.3)91 (28.3)237 (91.9)20 (14.3)<0.001
    Memantine100 (13.9)19 (5.9)77 (29.8)4 (2.9)<0.001
    ChEIs293 (40.7)77 (23.9)200 (77.5)16 (11.4)<0.001
        Rivastigmine181 (25.1)36 (11.2)136 (52.7)9 (6.4)<0.001
        Galantamine45 (6.3)12 (3.7)30 (11.6)3 (2.1)<0.001
        Donepezil95 (13.2)36 (11.2)52 (20.2)7 (5.0)<0.001
Antidepressants372 (51.7)152 (47.2)131 (50.8)89 (63.6)0.005
First visit in 2015374 (51.9)181 (56.2)109 (42.2)84 (60.0)0.001
Total number of imaging/ neurophysiological examinations (CT, MRI, FDG-PET, DaT scan, EEG)723 (100)317 (43.8)282 (39.0)124 (17.2)/

Costs of diagnostic procedures and treatment performed in 2015_

Unit costs (EUR) 2015All patients (n=720)
SCI and MCI (n=321)
Dementias (n=259)
Psychiatric and other dg. (n=140)
No of ptnCosts (EUR)No of ptnCosts (EUR)No of ptnCosts (EUR)No of ptnCosts (EUR)
First visit17.33746,4701813,1311091,886841,453
Follow-up visits8.655144,4462141,8511981,713102882
Basic blood panel34.4637412,8881816,2371093,756842,895
Vitamin B12, folic acid, homocysteine41.5337415,5321817,5171094,527843,489
Thyroid function (TSH, T4, T3)20.143747,5321813,6451092,195841,692
MRI250.7210827,0786115,294287,020194,764
CT88.97282,4917623161,4245445
LP1,499.696191,4813755,4892029,99445,999
Neuropsychological examination230.019421,6216514,951173,910122,760
FDG-PET928.673229,7172018,57387,42943,715
DaT scan1,235.311316,05933,70644,94167,412
EEG49.33492,417211,0361574013641
Dg. – cost per group (EUR) 237,733 132,053 69,535 36,146
Dg. – cost per person (EUR) 330412 268 258
Anti-dementia treatment/month ChEI40.8293143,4537737,69920097,920167,834
Memantine29.310035,160196,6807727,07341,406
Med. – cost per group (EUR) 178,61344,380 124,993 9,240
Med. – cost per person (EUR) 248138 483 66
All – cost per group (EUR) 416,346176,433 194,528 45,386
All – cost per person (EUR) 578550 751 324

Informal and social care monthly costs in patients with and without dementia_

Patients with dementia (n=120)Patients without dementia (n=92)p-value
Age, median (IQR)81 (10)81 (9)0.580
Women, n (%)73 (60.8)63 (68.5)0.250a
Number of caregivers, median (IQR)2 (4)2 (4)0.840
Type of help and costs Difference
Informal care: ADLs (hours/month)1187741
Informal care: opportunity cost (EUR/month (95% CI))EUR 894 (725–1103)EUR 561 (445–707)EUR 333
Home help (hours/month)3.13.6-0.5
Home help costs (EUR/month; (95% CI))*EUR 53 (21–85)EUR 60 (23–98)-EUR 7
Nursing home placement, n (%)17 (14.2%)3 (3.3%)
Nursing home cost (EUR/month (95% CI))*EUR 114 (69–158)EUR 15 (-37–66)EUR 99
Total costs: opportunity cost (95% CI)**EUR 1,037 (897–1177)EUR 656 (500–812)EUR 381

Different diagnostic pathways and their costs when a cognitive disorder is suspected_

Diagnostic packagesCosts (EUR) for 2021
Exam + lab + CT207
Exam + lab + MRI365
Exam + lab + MRI + NP622
Exam + lab + MRI + LP2,922
Exam + lab + MRI + FDG-PET1,296
Exam + lab + MRI + LP + FDG-PET1,553
Exam + lab + MRI + NP + LP3,179
Exam + lab + MRI + NP + FDG-PET3,853
Exam + lab + MRI + NP + LP + FDG-PET4,110
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2022-0011 | Journal eISSN: 1854-2476 | Journal ISSN: 0351-0026
Language: English
Page range: 76 - 84
Submitted on: Jul 2, 2021
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Accepted on: Dec 10, 2021
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Published on: Mar 21, 2022
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year

© 2022 Eva Županič, Anders Wimo, Bengt Winblad, Milica Gregorič Kramberger, published by National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.