Economic Evaluation of a Geriatric Oncology Clinic

SIMPLE SUMMARY: There is increasing evidence supporting geriatric assessment (GA) prior to starting cancer treatment in older adults. However, GA is not widely available. One reason may be the lack of persuasive economic data demonstrating its value. We performed an economic evaluation of an academic geriatric oncology clinic and included 152 patients aged 65 years and older who underwent a GA in the pre-treatment setting. We carefully calculated the costs of the proposed treatment (prior to the GA), costs of the GA and associated recommendations, costs of the final treatment, and overall value. We found a GA saved CAD 7387 per patient seen. Extensive sensitivity analyses supported our finding that a GA is economically attractive and should be implemented more widely. ABSTRACT: Geriatric assessment (GA) is supported by recent trials and guidelines yet rarely implemented due to a lack of resources. We performed an economic evaluation of a geriatric oncology clinic. Pre-GA proposed treatments and post-GA actual treatments were obtained from a detailed chart review of patients seen at a single academic centre. GA-based costs for investigations and referrals were calculated. Unit costs were obtained for surgical, radiation, systemic therapy, laboratory, imaging, physician, nursing, and allied health care (all in 2019 Canadian dollars). A six-month time horizon and government payer perspective were used. Consecutive patients aged 65 years or older (n = 152, mean age 82 y) and referred in the pre-treatment setting between July 2016 and June 2018 were included. Treatment plans were modified for 51% of patients. Costs associated with planned treatment were CAD 3,655,015. Costs associated with GA and related interventions were CAD 95,798. Final treatment costs were CAD 2,436,379. Net savings associated with the clinic were CAD 1,122,837, or CAD 7387 per patient seen. Findings were robust in multiple sensitivity analyses. Combined with mounting trial data demonstrating the clinical benefits of GA, our data can inform a strong business case for geriatric oncology clinics in health care environments similar to ours, but additional studies in diverse health care settings are warranted.