Hospital Admission May Raise Health Care Spending in Dementia

Quasi-experimental analysis of nearly 900,000 emergency department visits found no evidence of lower mortality among admitted patients.

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Hospital admissions after emergency visits for dementia patients do not improve mortality rates.
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The study analyzed 872,085 emergency department visits among Medicare beneficiaries aged 66 and older with dementia.
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Hospital admissions increased health care spending by approximately $2,500 within 30 days and $4,000 within 90 days.
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There was substantial variation in hospital admission practices among emergency physicians treating dementia patients.
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The findings suggest that many hospital admissions for dementia patients may offer little value and warrant further research.

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