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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the time-varying relationship of annual physical, psychiatric, and quality of life status with subsequent inpatient healthcare resource use and estimated costs. DESIGN: Five-year longitudinal cohort study. SETTING: Thirteen ICUs at four teaching hospitals. PATIENTS: One hundred thirty-eight patients surviving greater than or equal to 2 years after acute respiratory distress syndrome. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Postdischarge inpatient resource use data (e. g. , hospitalizations, skilled nursing, and rehabilitation facility stays) were collected via a retrospective structured interview at 2 years, with prospective collection every 4 months thereafter, until 5 years postacute respiratory distress syndrome. Adjusted odds ratios for hospitalization and relative medians for estimated episode of care costs were calculated using marginal longitudinal two-part regression. The median (interquartile range) number of inpatient admission hospitalizations was 4 (2-8), with 114 patients (83%) reporting greater than or equal to one hospital readmission. The median (interquartile range) estimated total inpatient postdischarge costs over 5 years were 58, 500 (19, 700-157, 800; 90th percentile, 328, 083). Better annual physical and quality of life status, but not psychiatric status, were associated with fewer subsequent hospitalizations and lower follow-up costs. For example, greater grip strength (per 6 kg) had an odds ratio (95% CI) of 0. 85 (0. 73-1. 00) for inpatient admission, with 23% lower relative median costs, 0. 77 (0. 69-0. 87). CONCLUSIONS: In a multisite cohort of long-term acute respiratory distress syndrome survivors, better annual physical and quality of life status, but not psychiatric status, were associated with fewer hospitalizations and lower healthcare costs.
Ruhl et al. (Fri,) studied this question.