ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Sept. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthcare
spending in the U.S. is higher than any other country,2
and a major contributor of that cost is treating chronic diseases.
One barrier to better health for people living with a chronic
disease is malnutrition, and new data shows that it is raising
costs at the state level too. A study recently published in PLOS
ONE, the world's first multidisciplinary open access journal,
found that the U.S. spends upwards of $15.5 billion per year in
direct medical costs on malnutrition associated with eight diseases
– for individual states that could mean an additional $25 million to $1.7 billion yearly.
Previous research has shown the total economic burden of
disease-associated malnutrition in the U.S. – including both direct
and indirect costs*– poses a $157
billion burden each year.3 In this study,
researchers focused on the direct medical costs in order to
understand the amount each state spends on this preventable
condition.
Researchers found that of the $15.5
billion spent each year on medical costs for malnutrition
associated with common diseases:
- California has the highest
overall estimated costs at $1.7
billion, while Wyoming
spends the least at $25 million.
- Washington, D.C. spends the
most per person ($65) while
Utah spends the least per person
($36).
- Dementia was the highest driver of cost, accounting for more
than half the total cost ($8.7
billion). Breast cancer was the lowest among the eight
diseases at $76 million.
- While people 65+ represent only 14 percent of the U.S.
population, this age group accounts for nearly a third of the costs
($4.3 billion), or roughly
$93 per person.
"Our healthcare system already spends significant resources
treating chronic diseases, and this new study shows how
malnutrition – a preventable and treatable condition – is adding to
that cost at the state level," said Scott
Goates, PhD, health economist at Abbott and lead study author. "When people are
well-nourished, we remove a barrier to successfully managing
chronic conditions while lowering the financial burden on
individuals and the healthcare system at large."
Good Nutrition Pays Dividends
Malnutrition occurs when the body doesn't get the nutrients it
needs, but often goes undiagnosed because it can be invisible to
the eye. It can occur in both underweight and overweight
individuals with more than a third of all patients entering the
hospital malnourished4,5 and even more becoming
malnourished during their hospital stay.6 This is
because people often have issues that prevent them from staying
well-nourished in the hospital, such as loss of appetite or
difficulty chewing and swallowing due to illness or age. Because of
this, malnutrition can increase patients' risk of complications and
delay recovery. 7
"Malnutrition often is unrecognized, particularly in obese
individuals which is a growing segment of our population. This
is particularly problematic when it accompanies many chronic
diseases," said Dr. Carol
Braunschweig, PhD, RD, professor, kinesiology and nutrition
at the University of Illinois at
Chicago and one of the study authors. "A great deal of
research has demonstrated malnutrition negatively impacts health
and increases costs to our healthcare system. By emphasizing the
importance of nutrition – from identifying and treating people in
the hospital to following up with them once they leave – we can
improve people's health and save money in the process."
Some hospitals have started to make nutritional changes,
including implementing formalized screening and treatment
processes, and have seen promising results. In a recent study,
published in the Journal of Nursing Care Quality, Cleveland
Clinic Akron General saw reduced length of stays, readmissions and
costs of care for patients after applying this quality improvement
program.9
"The value of nutrition has been well-established by the
scientific community, but we've just begun to scratch the surface
of applying it into the healthcare setting," said Goates.
While some efforts are under way, more can be done to help
people stay well-nourished in the hospital and post-discharge.
Implementing malnutrition protocols in all hospitals and empowering
patients and healthcare professionals to work together on
addressing malnutrition could have a big impact in rectifying this
issue. Caretakers play an important role too – for anyone at risk,
they can work with healthcare professionals to create nutrition
plans that include instructions detailing how patients can eat well
when they return home.
*The economic burden data looked at direct costs such as
hospital stays and readmissions as well as indirect costs such as
loss of productivity due to decreased quality of life or
death.
About the Study:
Economic Burden of
Disease-Associated Malnutrition at the State Level was an
analysis of the direct medical costs associated with
disease-related malnutrition for eight diseases in the U.S.
Researchers examined the prevalence and cost of treating
malnutrition found with dementia, depression, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD), stroke, musculoskeletal disorders,
coronary heart failure (CHF), colon cancer and breast cancer.
Disease prevalence rates were estimated for subgroups defined by
age, race and sex using data from the National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey from 2009 to 2014, which was supplemented with
National Health Interview Survey data. State prevalence of
disease-related malnutrition was estimated by combining national
prevalence estimates with states' demographic data from the U.S.
Census. Direct medical cost for each state was estimated as the
increased expenditures incurred as a result of malnutrition.
About Abbott:
At
Abbott (NYSE: ABT), we're
committed to helping you live your best possible life through the
power of health. For more than 125 years, we've brought new
products and technologies to the world -- in nutrition,
diagnostics, medical devices and branded generic pharmaceuticals --
that create more possibilities for more people at all stages of
life. Today, 74,000 of us are working to help people live not just
longer, but better, in the more than 150 countries we serve.
Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews and
@AbbottGlobal.
References
- Goates, S. et al. PLOS ONE. 2016; published online
21 September 2016.
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0161833
- D. Squires et al. The Commonwealth Fund. October 2015.
- Snider, J. et al., J Parenter and Ent Nutr. 2014;
published online 23 September 2014. DOI:
10.1177/0148607114550000
- Coats KG et al. J Am Diet Assoc. 1993; 93:27–33.
- Thomas DR et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002; 75: 308-313
- Braunschweig C et al. J Am Diet Assoc
2000;100(11):1316-1322.
- Tappenden KA et al. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics 2013;113(9):1219-1237.
- Amaral, T. et al. Clin. Nutr. 2007; 26, 778–784.
- Meehan, A et al. J Nurs Care Qual. 2016; 0(0): 1-7.
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