#1002 End of life healthcare utilisation and costs of older patients receiving kidney replacement therapy—analysis of Dutch health insurance claims data
Authors: Jongejan Micha , Van Oosten Manon , Leegte Martijn , van Buren Marjolijn , Abrahams Alferso , Bos Willem Jan W , Voorend Carlijn 
Published: May 2024

Background and Aims

The increasing prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD), an aging population and advancements in treatment options collectively contribute to a rise in older patients with a functioning kidney transplant (KTX) or undergoing dialysis. These treatments are associated with extensive healthcare utilisation, placing substantial demands on both patients and the healthcare system. Healthcare utilisation typically increases near the end of life, and is associated with increased costs. However, little is known about the end-of-life healthcare utilisation of patients receiving kidney replacement therapy (KRT). Therefore, our study aims to assess healthcare utilisation and costs during the last year of life.

Method

We analysed Dutch health insurance claims data from patients aged &gt;65 years on KRT who deceased between June 2016 and December 2021. We matched each patient with two controls, defined as individuals who died within the same calendar year without any insurance claims related to CKD or KRT. Matching was performed on sex, age and socio-economic status. The primary outcomes were healthcare utilisation and costs in the last twelve months of life for patients treated with different KRT modalities and compared to matched controls. Healthcare utilisation was detailed at hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, emergency department (ED) and outpatient department (OPD) visits, hospital daycare and institutionalised care. Healthcare costs encompassed costs related to primary care, hospital care (inpatient and outpatient), mental care, institutionalised care, prescription medication, transportation and other costs. Hospital care costs were categorised as KRT-related and -unrelated costs.

Results

In total 7279 decedents were included; 4614 haemodialysis patients (HD), 766 peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients and 1899 KTx recipients. KRT patients had a mean age of 77.6 ± 6.6 years, with 64% being male, and had significantly more comorbidities than the control group. In the year preceding death, KRT patients had significantly more hospital admissions, ICU admissions, ED visits, outpatient visits, hospital daycare and institutionalised care than controls (see Fig. 1). When comparing across KRT-modalities, KTx patients were more often admitted to the ICU than HD and PD patients (p = 0.001 and p = 0.024, respectively). For both HD, PD and KTx patients, the mean number of days admitted to the hospital and ICU, as well as ED visits and OPD visits significantly increased in last three months preceding death, compared to the initial nine months of the last year of life (p &lt; 0.0001).

Mean total healthcare costs in the last year of life were €59.489 for KTx patients, €108.294 for PD and €117.520 for HD patients, compared to €19.820 for the controls. The majority of costs for dialysis patients were attributed to KRT, accounting for 55.5% (€65.216) and 60.0% (€64.559) of the total expenditures for HD and PD patients, respectively. In contrast, KRT-related costs constituted 25.7% (€15.262) of the total expenses in KTx patients. Besides substantial KRT-related costs, KRT-patients also incurred higher costs for specialist care in the hospital, primary care, medication and transport, compared to controls.

Conclusion

Healthcare utilisation is substantial for older KRT patients and intensifies during the last year of life. This is accompanied with elevated costs. Further research is necessary to evaluate the impact of healthcare utilisation on the quality of life and whether advanced care planning could prevent overutilisation.