Table 2 Cost variables, resources used and average cost per patient for the control group and the intervention group for the period between the initial inpatient admission and 6 months following discharge (AUD$2012/13)

Initial inpatient rehabilitation admission (length of stay)

21.2

23.1

13,320

14,302

−1.9

−981

(15.7; 4 to 144)

(20.2; 1 to 236)

(10,041; 2,652 to 93,095)

(12,168; 1,459 to 137,387)

(−4.1 to 0.4)

(−2,408 to 445)

Hospital readmissions in primary health service (length of stay)

5.8

9.5

5,550

8,019

−3.6*

−2,469*

(17.1; 0 to 144)

(26.8; 0 to 195)

(15,084; 0 to 167,322)

(21,529; 0 to 176,202)

(−6.5 to −0.7)

(−4,849 to −1,214)

Hospital readmissions in other health services (length of stay)

1.3

1.8

1,360

1,717

−0.5

−357

(5.7; 0 to 63)

(9.7; 0 to 160)

(5,912; 0 to 67,095)

(9,215; 0 to 157,840)

(−1.4 to 0.5)

(−1,319 to 606)

Total Medicare claims

17.5

16.7

1,059

975

0.8

84

(24.7; 0 to 194)

(22.3; 0 to 191)

(2,102; 0 to 24,019)

(1,897; 0 to 26,724)

(−2.3 to 3.8)

(−173 to 340)

 Benefit paid

881

835

46

(1,393; 0 to 12,932)

(1,266; 0 to 11,689)

(−121 to 214)

 Out-of-pocket

178

140

37

(836; 0 to 11,087)

(823; 0 to 15,035)

(−69 to 144)

Total non-Medicare health care visits

17.2

18.4

934

1,022

−1.3

−89

(32.5; 0 to 380)

(33.5; 0 to 369)

(1,911; 0 to 17,370)

(2,264; 0 to 29,304)

(−5.5 to 3.0)

(−357 to 180)

 Physiotherapists

9.0

9.1

439

441

−0.1

−3

(16.3; 0 to180)

(13.2; 0 to 108)

(788; 0 to 8,730)

(638; 0 to 5,238)

(−1.9 to 1.8)

(−94 to 89)

 Occupational therapists

1.9

2.1

82

90

−0.2

−8

(8.3; 0 to 140)

(7.3; 0 to 72)

(351; 0 to 5,921)

(308; 0 to 3,045)

(−1.2 to 0.8)

(−50 to34)

 Other allied health

2.5

2.6

116

120

−0.1

−4

(9.2; 0 to 100)

(9.4; 0 to 88)

(432; 0 to 4,659)

(442; 0 to 4,138)

(−1.3 to 1.1)

(−60 to 52)

 Community nurse

3.7

4.7

297

371

−0.9

−74

(18.3; 0 to 182)

(25.4; 0 to 366)

(1,462; 0 to 14,504)

(2,027; 0 to 29,167)

(−4.0 to 2.1)

(−268 to 120)

Total pharmaceuticals (PBS) claims

28.6

31.4

1,246

1,325

−2.8

−79

(21.9; 0 to 259)

(24.1; 0 to 279)

(1,644; 0 to 37,430)

(1,848; 0 to 48,717)

(−5.8 to 0.2)

(−194 to 35)

 Benefit paid

1,087

1,168

−81

(1,608; 0 to 37,183)

(1,810; 0 to 48,093)

(−193 to 31)

 Out-of-pocket

158

157

2

(126; 0 to 1,411)

(114; 0 to 1,314)

(−14 to 17)

Over-the-counter medications

1.4

1.5

39

37

−0.01

2

(1.5; 0 to 8)

(1.5; 0 to 8)

(80; 0 to 1,117)

(67; 0 to 931)

(−0.2 to 0.2)

(−7 to 12)

Formal (paid) carers (hours)

11.3

11.2

388

385

0.1

3

(32.5; 0 to 247)

(27.1; 0 to 182)

(1,113; 0 to 8,457)

(929; 0 to 6,232)

(−3.7 to 3.9)

(−128 to 134)

Informal (unpaid) carers (hours)

387.7

462.4

13,274

15,833

−74.7*

−2,559*

(1,055; 0 to 4,654)

(1,146; 0 to 5,616)

(36,135; 0 to 159,353)

(39,232; 0 to 192,292)

(−146.7 to −2.8)

(−5,022 to −96)

Total

37,170

43,615

−6,445

(44,351; 3,713 to 231,733)

(49,806; 3,723 to 256,182)

(−9,522 to −3,368)

t-test p = 0.036*

MWU p = 0.010*