Windsor study shows community-based care comes at a savings to hospitals and patients

Windsor kidney specialist Dr. Albert Kadri is familiar with the high costs associated with chronic kidney disease — to both hospitals and patients.

But he and his team have completed a study that they say offers the same if not a better quality of care to those patients outside of a hospital setting.

It also comes with a big savings to the healthcare system.

"Most patients, if you gave them the choice, would prefer not to go the hospital if they can avoid it," said Kadri. "And for the healthcare system we know from data that most hospital based care is more expensive than community based care."

The study compared patients with chronic kidney disease who used hospital-based care against those under a community-based care model. Kadri used his kidney clinic in Windsor as the test case over a 15 month period.

When a person with chronic kidney disease declines significantly, they are generally referred to pre-dialysis clinics that are usually within a hospital. Those clinics receive government funding if that patient sees, for example, a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist at that clinic.

According to the study, that adds up to about $1,383 per patient per year in government funding.

What Kadri's study has shown is that instead of sending these pre-dialysis patients to the hospital, they can see their primary physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional to get that same level of care in their own home or community.

"Most importantly it follows a wellness model," said Kadri. "So when patients are being treated in the community as opposed to the hospital, you create a wellness model that makes people feel like they're still well, they can still be productive members of society."

Adapting to that wellness thinking is important for patients' health, said Kadri, and also introduces them to being comfortable with in-home care that could continue when they do need dialysis.

But it also adds up to a big savings for the healthcare system.

The study showed that between January 1, 2015 and March 31, 2016, Kadri's clinic saved between $1.5 to $1.8 million in funding.

"Ultimately as a society and as taxpayers we should be looking at ways to reduce costs in our healthcare system yet still deliver care to patients that is accessible, that is timely, that meets their needs," said Kadri.

"I'm hoping that it will allow people to think outside of the box."