The Direct costs to patients of hospitalisation for stroke: a five-year
longitudinal study in Pudong New Area
Abstract
This study is aim to determine the direct costs of hospitalisation for
stroke inpatients in Pudong New Area, by analysing the composition and
trends, and identifying influencing factors, to inform the development
and implementation of relevant policies and strategies. This study
included hospitalized stroke patients and obtained 1,3061 valid samples.
We used a self-designed questionnaire to collect direct cost data for
stroke patients from the Regional Health Information Platform of Pudong
New Area. We collected information on 28 variables, including admission
route, stroke subtype, and costs for hospitalization, consultations, and
treatments. The data came from medical institutions in Pudong New Area
from 2016 to 2020. The study subjects had an average age of 71.69 ±
13.11 years, with 56.8% being men and 43.2% being women. Among them,
15.5% had haemorrhagic strokes, 84.3% had ischemic strokes, and 0.2%
had undifferentiated strokes. The highest costs were attributed to
oxygen therapy, medication, and examinations. The results of the study
also describe trends in the movement of various types of costs. In
Pudong New Area, Shanghai, hospitalized stroke patients, particularly
older men after an ischemic stroke, have higher likelihood. The main
cost factors include oxygen therapy, examinations, and medications. It
is crucial to pay attention to the trends in the costs of oxygen
therapy, nursing, and medications. Age, length of stay, and stroke
subtype have an impact on the total hospitalization costs, emphasizing
the importance of the pre-treatment and recovery periods for cost
reduction efforts.