[Ireland] Does a palliative medicine service reduce hospital length of stay and costs in adults with a life-limiting illness?-a difference-in-differences evaluation of service expansion in Ireland

[Ireland] Does a palliative medicine service reduce hospital length of stay and costs in adults with a life-limiting illness?-a difference-in-differences evaluation of service expansion in Ireland
Annals of Palliative Medicine; by Soraya Matthews, Eimir Hurley, Bridget M Johnston, Pauline Kane, Karen Ryan, Eoin Tiernan, Charles Normand, Peter May; 7/24
People approaching end of life account disproportionately for health care costs, and the majority of these costs accrue in hospitals. The economic evidence base to improve value of care to this population is thin. Our primary analytic sample included 4,314 observations, of whom 608 (14%) received timely palliative care. We estimated that the intervention reduced LOS [length of stay] by nearly two days, with an estimated associated saving per admission of €1,820 [~$1,986 USD on this date].