Costs and Healthcare Resource Utilization of Inpatients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

Objective: Acute ischemic stroke treatment costs are a concerning issue in developing countries. The objective of the present study was to determine cost and health-care resource utilization in patients with acute ischemic stroke in Thailand. Materials and Methods: The present study was a retrospective cohort study. The authors reviewed data from the electronic medical records of acute ischemic stroke patients. Data on resource utilization and healthcare costs (HCCs) were collected. Cost data, patient characteristics, and disease severity were described. Analyses were conducted using generalized linear regression models with a log-link and gamma distribution. Results: Two thousand two hundred seventy-eight patients had been diagnosed with ischemic stroke. The mean total costs per patient were 1,244.40 (±594.81) USD. Medical equipment was the most significant cost for acute ischemic stroke patients. Patients suffering from moderateto- severe stroke had higher HCCs than those suffering from minor stroke. Multivariate generalized linear modeling presented age, gender, most comorbidities, and the Barthel index score on admission to affect total cost in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Conclusion: HCCs in patients with acute ischemic stroke were significantly associated with age, gender, some comorbid conditions, and the Barthel index score at admission. HCCs are rising as a result of the severity of strokes. Keywords: Acute ischemic stroke, Healthcare resource utilization, Healthcare costs, Thailand