Teerapat Yingchoncharoen1, Tao Cheng Wu2, Dong Ju Choi3, Tiong Kiam Ong4, Houng Bang Liew5, Myeong Chan Cho6. 1. Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. 2. Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan ROC. 3. Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea. 4. Department of Cardiology, Sarawak General Hospital, Kuching, Malaysia. 5. Department of Cardiology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital 2, Sabah, Malaysia. 6. Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea. mccho@cbnu.ac.kr.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Heart failure (HF) poses substantial economic burden, primarily driven by high hospitalization and mortality rates. This study aimed to understand the economic burden of HF in 4 Asian countries under varying healthcare systems. METHODS: This was a non-interventional, retrospective study conducted in South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Malaysia through medical chart review. Eligible patients included those who had either ≥1 hospitalization or ≥2 outpatient visits from January 1st to December 31st, 2014, and at least one year of follow-up. Resource use and direct healthcare costs (adjusted to 2015 USD) of HF were assessed. HF costs for subgroups stratified by age and sex were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 568 patients were recruited from South Korea (n=200), Taiwan (n=200), Thailand (n=100) and Malaysia (n=68). The proportion of patients hospitalized ranged from 20.0% to 93.5% (South Korea 20.0%, Thailand 49.0%, Malaysia 70.6%, and Taiwan 93.5%). The overall annual HF cost per patient was $2,357, $4,513, $3,513 and $1,443 in South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Malaysia, respectively; hospitalized HF care costs were $10,714, $4,790, $7,181 and $1,776, respectively. The length of stay was more than 12.2 days except in Malaysia. No specific trend was observed in subgroup analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In Asia, HF poses significant economic burden and hospitalization has emerged as the major cost driver among healthcare costs. A streamlined treatment strategy reducing hospitalization rate can minimize the economic burden.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:Heart failure (HF) poses substantial economic burden, primarily driven by high hospitalization and mortality rates. This study aimed to understand the economic burden of HF in 4 Asian countries under varying healthcare systems. METHODS: This was a non-interventional, retrospective study conducted in South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Malaysia through medical chart review. Eligible patients included those who had either ≥1 hospitalization or ≥2 outpatient visits from January 1st to December 31st, 2014, and at least one year of follow-up. Resource use and direct healthcare costs (adjusted to 2015 USD) of HF were assessed. HF costs for subgroups stratified by age and sex were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 568 patients were recruited from South Korea (n=200), Taiwan (n=200), Thailand (n=100) and Malaysia (n=68). The proportion of patients hospitalized ranged from 20.0% to 93.5% (South Korea 20.0%, Thailand 49.0%, Malaysia 70.6%, and Taiwan 93.5%). The overall annual HF cost per patient was $2,357, $4,513, $3,513 and $1,443 in South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Malaysia, respectively; hospitalized HF care costs were $10,714, $4,790, $7,181 and $1,776, respectively. The length of stay was more than 12.2 days except in Malaysia. No specific trend was observed in subgroup analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In Asia, HF poses significant economic burden and hospitalization has emerged as the major cost driver among healthcare costs. A streamlined treatment strategy reducing hospitalization rate can minimize the economic burden.