Abstract
Objective: Analyze the association between demographic variables, morbidity and relative to the conditions of hospitalization with the expenses resulting from the admission of elderly people in intensive care units (ICU) of private hospitals in a capital of northeastern Brazil. Method: This is an epidemiological, analytical and sectional study, with a quantitative approach, in which data were collected regarding 312 hospitalizations of elderly people in the ICU of all private hospitals in Natal (RN), Brazil. The dependent variable was the cost of hospitalization and the independent variables related to the characterization of individuals in terms of socio-demographic profile, morbid condition and characteristics of hospitalization. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, t test and multiple logistic regression with prevalence ratios (PR). Results: The average cost per hospitalization was R$ 4.266,05±3.322,50 for the low cost group and R$ 39.753,162±4.929,12 for the high cost group. It was found that hospitalization due to clinical (PR=1,81; 95%CI=1,06-3,09) and respiratory conditions (PR=2,48; 95CI%=1,48-5,24), the need for mechanical ventilation (PR=2,33; 95%CI=1,43-3,78) and complete or partial disorientation at the time of admission (PR=1,81; 95%CI=1,15-2,84) were associated with higher expenditure on hospitalizations in the multiple statistical model. Conclusion: The knowledge produced by the study may serve as a subsidy for the implementation of actions capable of promoting better health conditions for the elderly, reducing expenses related to their hospitalization in highly specialized sectors. In addition, the research raises evidence that the construction of protocols and lines of care guiding the work process in the intensive care sector, specifically created for the elderly, may be relevant in reducing the expenses resulting from hospitalization of the elderly.
Keywords
Intensive Care Units; Health of the Elderly; Health Expenditures