Race-Specific Impact of Telehealth Advance Care Planning on Cost of Dementia: A Cost Prediction Study

Identifying strategies to enhance patient engagement and to control healthcare costs promotes a responsive and efficient healthcare system. The aim of this study is to predict healthcare cost savings associated with delivering telehealth advance care planning (ACP) to patients living with dementia. Two Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Programs delivered training to primary care providers on using telehealth to provide ACP. Using electronic health records data from 6344 dual-eligible Medicare/Medicaid patients receiving telehealth primary care from trained providers in an urban safety net system, persons living with dementia ( n = 401) were identified by extracting ICD-10 codes. The primary outcome was the estimated hospitalization-associated cost, with a key independent variable of ACP billing status. Multiple linear regressions and machine learning techniques estimated the impact of telehealth ACP on hospitalization-associated costs with a differential analysis by race. Compared to non-Hispanic Whites, hospitalization costs among Hispanic elders were higher by USD 14,232.40. Costs for non-English speakers or those having increased comorbidities were higher by USD 27,346.60 and USD 26,072.70, respectively. Overall, receiving ACP was associated with lower costs of USD 23,928.84. Dementia patients seen by primary care providers in a system receiving training to offer ACP via telehealth realized significant cost savings, with marked differences among those of non-White racial backgrounds.