Futile end-of-life hospital treatments cost Australia an estimated $153.1 million a year, expert analysis estimates.
A study, led by researchers at the University of Queensland, analysed the treatment of 907 adult patients who died in three Australian public hospitals over a six-month period in 2012.
On average, 12 per cent of end-of-life patients received treatments that provided no benefit, according to the study published in journal BMJ Open.
Lead author Dr Hannah Carter says for those patients, non-beneficial treatment was provided for an average of 15 days, including five days in intensive care.
"If we extrapolate those figures to estimate the national impact of non-beneficial treatment, it comes to 41,222 bed days per year," Dr Carter said.
The economic costs of non-beneficial treatment took in the impact across the whole hospital, not just the ICU, Dr Carter stressed.
"A total of 55 consultants from many specialities, including emergency medicine, internal medicine, oncology, cardiology and palliative care, reviewed the cases and indicated the date they believed non-beneficial treatment had begun," she said.
"Our estimates of the number of days of non-beneficial treatment were based on a consensus by these doctors."
The health economist says the study did not take into account emotional hardship or pain and suffering to patients and families.
"These aspects would represent additional costs, but increasing awareness of the economic costs may raise support for alternative end-of-life care that reduces both the financial and emotional costs."
