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Table 3 Regression coefficient estimates (on log cost-ratio scalea), 95% confidence intervals and p-values from unadjusted and adjusted gamma Generalized Estimating Equation models for cost per day outcome

From: The association between varying levels of palliative care involvement on costs during terminal hospitalizations in Canada from 2012 to 2015

Category

Unadjusted Modelsb

Adjusted Modelc

Coefficient (95% CI)

P-value

Coefficient (95% CI)

P-value

Palliative Care Intensity

 No involvement

Ref

 

Ref

 

 Low involvement

−0.18 (− 0.21: − 0.15)

< 0.001

− 0.15 (− 0.17: − 0.12)

< 0.001

 Medium involvement

− 0.65 (− 0.69: − 0.62)

< 0.001

− 0.6 (− 0.63: − 0.57)

< 0.001

Age

 18–40

Ref

 

Ref

 

 41–55

− 0.22 (− 0.27: − 0.18)

< 0.001

− 0.15 (− 0.18: − 0.11)

< 0.001

 56–70

−0.32 (− 0.36: − 0.27)

< 0.001

−0.23 (− 0.27: − 0.19)

< 0.001

 71–85

−0.45 (− 0.5: − 0.39)

< 0.001

−0.38 (− 0.42: − 0.34)

< 0.001

 86–104

−0.64 (− 0.7: − 0.59)

< 0.001

−0.58 (− 0.62: − 0.54)

< 0.001

Sex

 F

Ref

 

Ref

 

 M

0.08 (0.07: 0.09)

< 0.001

0.04 (0.03: 0.05)

< 0.001

Province

 ON

Ref

 

Ref

 

 AB

−0.02 (−0.19: 0.14)

0.79

0.02 (−0.07: 0.11)

0.66

 BC

0.02 (−0.1: 0.13)

0.78

0.03 (−0.05: 0.11)

0.48

 MB

−0.02 (− 0.14: 0.11)

0.81

0 (− 0.08: 0.09)

0.96

 NB

−0.02 (− 0.35: 0.31)

0.91

− 0.01 (− 0.24: 0.21)

0.9

 NL

0.05 (−0.1: 0.2)

0.52

0.04 (−0.06: 0.13)

0.44

 NS

−0.19 (− 0.61: 0.24)

0.39

− 0.11 (− 0.37: 0.15)

0.4

 PE

0.48 (0.17: 0.8)

0.002

0.39 (0.09: 0.69)

0.01

 SK

0.06 (−0.03: 0.14)

0.23

0.07 (0.01: 0.13)

0.02

Van Walraven Index

 −14-3

Ref

 

Ref

 

 4–8

−0.07 (−0.08: − 0.05)

< 0.001

− 0.04 (− 0.05: − 0.03)

< 0.001

 9–15

− 0.1 (− 0.12: − 0.08)

< 0.001

− 0.09 (− 0.1: − 0.07)

< 0.001

 16+

− 0.25 (− 0.28: − 0.22)

< 0.001

− 0.2 (− 0.22: − 0.17)

< 0.001

  1. Abbreviations: F Female, AB Alberta, BC British Columbia, MB Manitoba, NB New Brunswick, NL Newfoundland, NS Nova Scotia, ON Ontario, PE Prince Edward Island, SK Saskatchewan
  2. aAs explained in previous work, these “coefficient estimates [are] derived from generalized linear models with logarithmic link functions [and] are interpretable as the logarithm of the relative change in mean cost associated with a one-unit change in the predictor variable” (Austin PC, Ghali WA, Tu JV. A comparison of several regression models for analysing cost of CABG surgery. Stat Med. 2003 Sep 15;22 (17):2799–815. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/sim.1442. PMID: 12939787)
  3. bThis column displays unadjusted models for each variable
  4. cModel adjusted for age, sex, province, and Van Walraven index
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BMC Health Services Research

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