Impact of age and procedure on resource use for patients with ischemic heart disease

Objectives: Impact of age on healthcare expenditures should be assessed by targeting on specific diseases and controlling for procedures and severity of illness. Relationship between age and resource use in patients receiving acute care medicine for ischemic heart disease (IHD) was examined. Methods: We analyzed 19,874 IHD patients treated in 82 academic and 92 community hospitals. Length of stay (LOS), total charges (TC), and high outliers of LOS and TC were analyzed for every age group (under 65 years, 65-74 years, 75 years or older). Independent effects of age on LOS, TC, and high outliers of LOS and TC were determined using multivariate analysis. Results: 7863 (39.6%) patients were under 65 years, 7181 (36.1%) between 65 years and 74 years, and 4830 (24.3%) aged 75 years or older. Proportion of angina or non-medical treatment was significantly different among three age categories (angina 72%, 75%, 71.4%; non-medical 37.3%, 40.9%, 38.9%, respectively). Significant association with LOS or TC was identified in patients receiving coronary artery bypass graft surgery with percutaneous intracoronary intervention, who were most associated with TC high outlier. Conclusions: Age had a modest impact on resource use, as compared with procedures. Policy makers need to acknowledge the impact of procedures on healthcare spending.