Claire de Oliveira1, Erin M Macdonald1, Diane Green1, Patricia Colton1, Marion Olmsted1, Susan Bondy1, Paul Kurdyak1. 1. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (de Oliveira, Kurdyak); Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (de Oliveira, Kurdyak), University of Toronto; Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (de Oliveira, Macdonald, Green, Bondy, Kurdyak); Toronto General Hospital (Colton, Olmsted), University Health Network; Department of Psychiatry (Colton, Olmsted, Kurdyak), University of Toronto; Dalla Lana School of Public Health (Bondy), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Eating disorders, specifically anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and eating disorder not otherwise specified, represent a substantial burden to the health care system. Our goal was to estimate the economic burden of patients who received specialized inpatient care for an eating disorder out of country. METHOD: We conducted a cost-of-illness study evaluating health care costs among patients in Ontario who received specialized inpatient care for an eating disorder out of country from 2003 to 2011, from the public third-party payer perspective. Using linked administrative databases, we estimated net costs of eating disorders for 2 patient groups: those who received specialized inpatient care both out of country and in province (n = 160), and those who received specialized inpatient care out of country only (n = 126). RESULTS: Patients approved for specialized out-of-country inpatient care were mostly girls and young women from high-income, urban neighbourhoods. Total net costs varied annually and were higher for patients treated both out of country and in province (about $11 million before 2007, $6.5 million after) than for those treated out of country alone (about $5 million and $2 million, respectively). The main cost drivers were out-of-country care and physician services. INTERPRETATION: Costs associated with eating disorder care represent a substantial economic burden to the Ontario health care system. Given the high costs of out-of-country care, there may be opportunity to redirect these funds to increase capacity and expertise for eating disorder treatment within Ontario.
BACKGROUND:Eating disorders, specifically anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and eating disorder not otherwise specified, represent a substantial burden to the health care system. Our goal was to estimate the economic burden of patients who received specialized inpatient care for an eating disorder out of country. METHOD: We conducted a cost-of-illness study evaluating health care costs among patients in Ontario who received specialized inpatient care for an eating disorder out of country from 2003 to 2011, from the public third-party payer perspective. Using linked administrative databases, we estimated net costs of eating disorders for 2 patient groups: those who received specialized inpatient care both out of country and in province (n = 160), and those who received specialized inpatient care out of country only (n = 126). RESULTS:Patients approved for specialized out-of-country inpatient care were mostly girls and young women from high-income, urban neighbourhoods. Total net costs varied annually and were higher for patients treated both out of country and in province (about $11 million before 2007, $6.5 million after) than for those treated out of country alone (about $5 million and $2 million, respectively). The main cost drivers were out-of-country care and physician services. INTERPRETATION: Costs associated with eating disorder care represent a substantial economic burden to the Ontario health care system. Given the high costs of out-of-country care, there may be opportunity to redirect these funds to increase capacity and expertise for eating disorder treatment within Ontario.
Authors: Jacqueline C Carter; Kimberley B Mercer-Lynn; Sarah Jane Norwood; Carmen V Bewell-Weiss; Ross D Crosby; D Blake Woodside; Marion P Olmsted Journal: Psychiatry Res Date: 2012-05-31 Impact factor: 3.222
Authors: Claire de Oliveira; Karen E Bremner; Reka Pataky; Nadia Gunraj; Kelvin Chan; Stuart Peacock; Murray D Krahn Journal: CMAJ Open Date: 2013-01-16
Authors: Claire de Oliveira; Karen E Bremner; Reka Pataky; Nadia Gunraj; Mahbubul Haq; Kelvin Chan; Winson Y Cheung; Jeffrey S Hoch; Stuart Peacock; Murray D Krahn Journal: CMAJ Open Date: 2013-12-09
Authors: Maureen Anderson; Crawford W Revie; Jacqueline M Quail; Walter Wodchis; Claire de Oliveira; Meriç Osman; Marilyn Baetz; J McClure; Henrik Stryhn; David Buckeridge; Cordell Neudorf Journal: Can J Public Health Date: 2018-06-28