Factors related to cost-effective use of palliative care services in Türkiye

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine the components affecting the cost in palliative care (PC) and to determine how much they affect this cost separately and to evaluate the relationship between PC components and PC cost in order to determine the cost table of both the patient and the hospital in a more planned way and for a more cost-effective management. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study. Data on patients, demographic characteristics, chronic disease profiles, duration of antibiotic use, antibiotic costs, length of stay, presence and number of hospital infections, feeding methods, opioid use, mortality rate, presence of decubitus ulcer, central venous catheter and tracheostomy were evaluated to determine their effects on cost. Results: No significant relationship was found between cost of palliative care and mortality, age, gender, opioid use and chronic diseases. The cost of palliative care for the cancer group was statistically lower, with an average daily cost of $177. Length of stay, decubitus ulcers, duration of antibiotic use, number of nosocomial infections, presence of central venous catheter and tracheostomy, and nutritional status showed a positive correlation with cost of palliative care. Conclusions: It was observed that some components of PC were associated with high costs, but mortality was independent of costs. While calculating the cost-effectiveness in PC, mortality should also be taken into consideration along with other components, and PC efficiency should not be ignored while targeting cost-effectiveness.