Estimated annual healthcare costs after acute pulmonary embolism: results from a prospective multicentre cohort study

Abstract Aims Patients surviving acute pulmonary embolism (PE) necessitate long-term treatment and follow-up. We estimated, the chronic economic impact of PE on the German healthcare system. Methods and results We calculated the direct cost of illness during the first year after discharge for the index PE, analysing data from a multicentre prospective cohort study in Germany. Main and accompanying readmission diagnoses were used to calculate DRG-based hospital reimbursements; anticoagulation costs were estimated from the exact treatment duration and each drug's unique national identifier; and outpatient post-PE care costs from guidelines-recommended algorithms and national reimbursement catalogues. Of 1017 patients enrolled at 17 centres, 958 (94%) completed ≥3-month follow-up; of those, 24% were rehospitalized (0.34 95% CI 0.30–0.39 readmissions per PE survivor). Age, coronary artery, pulmonary and kidney disease, diabetes, and (in the sensitivity analysis of 837 patients with complete 12-month follow-up) cancer, but not recurrent PE, were independent cost predictors by hurdle gamma regression accounting for zero readmissions. The estimated rehospitalization cost was €1138 (95% CI 896–1420) per patient. Anticoagulation duration was 329 (IQR 142–365) days, with estimated average per-patient costs of €1050 (median 972; IQR 458–1197); costs of scheduled ambulatory follow-up visits amounted to €181. Total estimated direct per-patient costs during the first year after PE ranged from €2369 (primary analysis) to €2542 (sensitivity analysis). Conclusion By estimating per-patient costs and identifying cost drivers of post-PE care, our study may inform decisions concerning implementation and reimbursement of follow-up programmes aiming at improved cardiovascular prevention.