Cost-efﬁciency of specialist inpatient rehabilitation for working-aged adults with complex neurological disabilities: a multicentre cohort analysis of a national clinical data set

BMJ Open, 2016 · DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010238 · Published: January 1, 2016

Simple Explanation

This study looks at whether specialist rehabilitation in hospitals is a good use of money for working-aged adults with complex neurological disabilities. The researchers analyzed data from multiple rehabilitation centers in England to see how patients improved and how much money was saved on their long-term care. They found that specialist rehabilitation can lead to significant savings, especially for patients who are highly dependent on care.

Study Duration

5 years (2010-2015)

Participants

5739 working-aged adults (16–65 years) with complex neurological disability

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Specialist rehabilitation leads to substantial savings in ongoing care costs, particularly for high-dependency patients.
2
The time taken to offset the cost of rehabilitation was shortest in the high-dependency group at 14.2 months.
3
FIM efficiency appeared greatest in medium-dependency patients (0.54), compared with the low-dependency (0.37) and high-dependency (0.38) groups.

Research Summary

This multicentre cohort analysis evaluated the cost-efficiency of specialist inpatient rehabilitation for working-aged adults with complex neurological disabilities using the UKROC national clinical database from 2010 to 2015. The study found that specialist rehabilitation can be highly cost-efficient for all neurological conditions, producing substantial savings in ongoing care costs, especially in high-dependency patients. Despite longer lengths of stay, the time taken to offset the cost of rehabilitation was shortest in the high-dependency group, highlighting the value of investing in rehabilitation for this patient population.

Practical Implications

Policy and Funding

The findings support the continued funding and prioritization of specialist rehabilitation services, particularly for high-dependency patients, as they offer significant long-term cost savings.

Clinical Practice

Rehabilitation programs should be tailored to the specific needs and dependency levels of patients to maximize cost-efficiency and functional outcomes.

Outcome Measurement

The study highlights the importance of using a range of outcome measures, including those that capture cognitive and psychosocial function, to fully evaluate the impact of rehabilitation.

Study Limitations

1
Selection bias due to the evolution of reporting requirements over the data collection period.
2
The NPCNA estimates of continuing care costs are not true assessments as applied in traditional health economic studies.
3
The data were collected in the course of routine clinical practice.

Your Feedback

Was this summary helpful?

Back to Healthcare