Disproportionate utilization of healthcare resources among veterans with COPD: a retrospective analysis of factors associated with COPD healthcare cost

Table 5 Multivariable analysis of factors associated with copd-related and total healthcare costs

	COPD-related cost		Total health care cost
Variables	Adjusted regression	p-value	Adjusted regression	p-value
	coefficient		coefficient
	[95% confidence limits]		[95% confidence limits]
Hospitalizations	0.988 [0.926, 1.050]	<0.001	0.609 [0.543, 0.674]	<0.001
Clinic visits	0.053 [0.040, 0.067]	<0.001	0.027 [0.015, 0.039]	<0.001
Treated by a pulmonologist	0.299 [0.133, 0.464]	<0.001	0.208 [0.053, 0.363]	0.009
Number of medications	0.012 [0.003, 0.021]	0.011		NS
FEV1	−0.133 [−0.234, -0.031]	0.011		NS
Short acting anti-muscarinic	0.246 [0.100, 0.393]	0.001		NS
BMI	−0.012 [−0.023, -0.001]	0.025		NS
Inhaled corticosteroid	0.168 [0.005, 0.331]	0.043		NS
DM		NS	0.291 [0.134, 0.449]	<0.001
Depression		NS	0.195 [0.040, 0.351]	0.014
Age		NS	−0.008 [−0.014, -0.002]	0.012
Nursing home resident		NS	0.506 [0.104, 0.909]	0.014
Maximum serum bicarbonate		NS	0.021 [0.003, 0.039]	0.026

FEV1, Forced expiratory volume in 1 second; BMI, Body mass index; DM, Diabetes mellitus; NS, Not significant.

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