Abstract
Background: Rehabilitation is effective for multiple sclerosis, but is it value for money?
Objectives: To evaluate functional outcomes, care needs and cost-efficiency of specialist inpatient rehabilitation for adults with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Methods: A multicentre cohort study of prospectively collected clinical data from the UK Rehabilitation Outcomes Collaborative national clinical database. Data included all adults with MS (n = 1007) admitted for specialist inpatient (Level 1 or 2) rehabilitation in England, 2010-2018.
Outcome measures: Dependency/care needs: Northwick Park Dependency Scale/Care Needs Assessment, Functional independence: UK Functional Assessment Measure (UK FIM+FAM). Cost-efficiency. Patients were analysed in three dependency groups (High/Medium/Low).
Results: All groups showed significant reduction in dependency between admission and discharge on all measures (paired t-tests: p < 0.001). Mean reduction in care costs/week was greatest in the most dependent patients: High: £519 (95% CI: 447-597), Medium: £148 (76-217), Low: £36 (12-83). Despite longer stays, time taken to offset the cost of rehabilitation was shortest in the most dependent patients: High: 12.9 (12.0-14.1) months; Medium: 29.3 (21.3-51.8); Low: 76.8 (0-36.1). Item-level changes corresponded with clinical experience.
Conclusions: Specialist rehabilitation provided good value for money in patients with MS, yielding improved outcomes and substantial savings in ongoing care costs, especially in high-dependency patients.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2055217320912789 |
| Journal | Multiple sclerosis journal - experimental, translational and clinical |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 25 Mar 2020 |