A cost-minimization analysis of oncology home care versus hospital care

We compared the costs of patient care for two groups of 10 oncology patient s. The test group was treated at home and had access to 24 h telephone supp ort, and the control group was treated in hospital, either as inpatients or as outpatients. Direct variable costs were provided by health insurance co mpanies. The time invested by the health-care staff was recorded. The amoun t of time devoted to patients was more uniform in hospital than in the pati ents' homes, which suggests that patients at home received a less generic, more specific form of care. The nurses spent four times as long caring for home care patients as for hospital patients. The total cost of home care wa s 64% of that of hospital care, although this difference was not significan t. The mean daily costs were three times lower at home than in hospital. Al l direct costs, except laboratory tests, were lower at home. Pharmaceutical costs were six times lower at home. Telephone support for home oncology ca re was cost saving and avoided 27 nursing home visits, which represented 35 working hours and Pta270,000 in savings to the health insurance companies.