Dehui Kong1, Xiaole Liu1, Hui Lian1, Xiaoyi Zhao1, Yakun Zhao1, Qun Xu2, Bin Peng3, Haitao Wang4, Quan Fang1, Shuyang Zhang1, Kangan Cheng1, Xiaofeng Jin1, Zhongjie Fan1. 1. Department of Cardiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China. 2. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Basic Medicine Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China. 3. Department of neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China. 4. Hospital administration, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The study aimed to analyze the hospital charges of the inpatients with acute ischemic stroke in Beijing and determine the factors associated with hospital costs. METHODS: Medical records of hospitalized patients with a primary diagnosis of ischemic stroke according to International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision codes were collected from 121 hospitals in Beijing from March 1, 2012, to February 28, 2015. Distribution characteristics of hospital charges for different hospital levels (level 2 hospitals and level 3 hospitals) and types (Western medicine hospitals and Chinese medicine hospitals) were studied. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the association among hospital costs and factors that influenced total hospital charges. RESULTS: There were 158,781 admissions for ischemic stroke, 63.1% of the patients were male and their mean age was 67.7 ± 12.4 years, the median length of hospital stay (LOHS) was 13.5 days (interquartile range 9.9-18.1 days). The median hospital charge was 2,112 (1,436-3,147) US dollars. Of these, 46.7% were for medicine, 21.1% for laboratory and examination, and 16.3% for therapy. LOHS, hospital level, and pulmonary infection were key determinants of the hospital charges. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of medicine fees for the ischemic stroke inpatients showed a downward trend during the period from 2012 to 2015, but medicine fees still accounted for the largest percentage of hospital charges in China. LOHS emerged to be the main determinant of the cost. Decreasing medicine fees and LOHS might be strategies to decrease hospital charges and reduce economic burden of stroke in China.
BACKGROUND: The study aimed to analyze the hospital charges of the inpatients with acute ischemic stroke in Beijing and determine the factors associated with hospital costs. METHODS: Medical records of hospitalized patients with a primary diagnosis of ischemic stroke according to International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision codes were collected from 121 hospitals in Beijing from March 1, 2012, to February 28, 2015. Distribution characteristics of hospital charges for different hospital levels (level 2 hospitals and level 3 hospitals) and types (Western medicine hospitals and Chinese medicine hospitals) were studied. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the association among hospital costs and factors that influenced total hospital charges. RESULTS: There were 158,781 admissions for ischemic stroke, 63.1% of the patients were male and their mean age was 67.7 ± 12.4 years, the median length of hospital stay (LOHS) was 13.5 days (interquartile range 9.9-18.1 days). The median hospital charge was 2,112 (1,436-3,147) US dollars. Of these, 46.7% were for medicine, 21.1% for laboratory and examination, and 16.3% for therapy. LOHS, hospital level, and pulmonary infection were key determinants of the hospital charges. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of medicine fees for the ischemic stroke inpatients showed a downward trend during the period from 2012 to 2015, but medicine fees still accounted for the largest percentage of hospital charges in China. LOHS emerged to be the main determinant of the cost. Decreasing medicine fees and LOHS might be strategies to decrease hospital charges and reduce economic burden of stroke in China.