Long-term Out-of-Hospital Health Care Use for Fontan Survivors Across Childhood

Abstract

Background: Surgery is the cornerstone of treatment for single-ventricle patients, but life just begins for most when the staged procedures are completed. A package of care, including primary care, out-of-hospital specialist visits, and medication, is required for patients living with Fontan. This study quantified the current state of out-of-hospital health care use across childhood for Fontan patients using evidence from Australia. Methods: Patients recruited from the Fontan Registry were linked with the administrative Medicare (universal health insurance) data. Frequency of medical and pharmaceutical care and costs were estimated. Results: Data for 115 patients with 12,726 medical and 8,33..