Author Information
Birgit Aigner-Walder, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, AustriaAlbert Luger, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Austria
Stephanie Putz, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Austria
Abstract
Introduction: Community Nursing (CN) was piloted in Austria through the federal government programme, with pilot projects running from 2022 to 2024. Managed by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection (BMSGPK) and the Austri-an National Public Health Institute (GÖG), 117 projects with 273 community nurses were im-plemented nationwide. CN aimed to provide low-threshold, community-based health and care support primarily to older adults, caregivers, and relatives, serving 3,000–5,000 residents per full-time nurse.
Method: As part of the evaluation of the pilot projects, the fiscal effects on the healthcare sys-tem were examined. A multi-method approach analyzed costs of CN, changes in the use of health and care services, and its fiscal effects. Moreover, costs of inpatient and outpatient care were compared to discuss potential long-term savings.
Results: In the short-term, CN increased public expenditure due to greater uptake of medical, therapeutic, and care and support services. From the long-term perspective, the program hypo-thetically yields potential savings, if supported individuals could remain at home longer, reduc-ing reliance on institutional care facilities.
Discussion: While initial costs rose, CN demonstrates potential for future health system effi-ciency and cost containment. But attribution of cost savings exclusively to CN remains complex due to overlapping interventions and data limitations. Further longitudinal, controlled studies are recommended to verify fiscal effects more robustly.
Paper Information
Conference: EGen2025Stream: Lifespan Health Promotion
This paper is part of the EGen2025 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Aigner-Walder B., Luger A., & Putz S. (2025) Fiscal Effects of Community-Based Outreach Health Concepts Using the Example of Community Nursing in Austria ISSN: 2435-4937 The European Conference on Aging & Gerontology 2025: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 67-79) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2435-4937.2025.6
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2435-4937.2025.6
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