Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Routine Venous Doppler Ultrasound for Diagnosis of Deep Venous Thrombosis at Admission to Inpatient Rehabilitation

Objective 1. Identify whether timing of venous thromboembolism (VTE) diagnosis is associated with differences in patient outcomes. 2. Perform a cost-effectiveness analysis of routine venous Doppler ultrasound at admission to inpatient rehabilitation (IPR), taking into account costs associated with prolonged IPR length of stay (LOS) and development of pulmonary embolism (PE). Design This was a retrospective cohort study of 2312 consecutive patient discharges from a single IPR facility over an 18-month period. Cost-effectiveness model was built using TreeAge Healthcare Pro. The base case was constructed using probabilities and IPR LOS identified from retrospective analysis. Cost of Doppler ultrasound was obtained through the literature, and daily IPR cost was obtained from the study institution. Results VTE was diagnosed in 6.6% of patients. Asymptomatic patients diagnosed with VTE on screening Doppler ultrasound had shorter IPR LOS (p = 0.045) and lower rate of PE (p

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