The Cost of Acute Stroke Care and Associated Factors in Tertiary Hospitals Addis Ababa,Ethiopia.
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2021-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Abeba University
Abstract
Aim: Stroke is the commonest neurologic ward admission diagnosis in Ethiopia. It creates
significant economic burden on the health care system. The acute stroke care cost is a major
component of the annual cost for stroke. In this study, we aimed to determine the total acute
stroke care cost per patient admitted to a tertiary level government hospital in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia. And to identify components and predictors of the costs in order to better estimate the
overall cost of stroke.
Materials and methods: This prospective study was done in Tikur Anbesa specialized hospital and
Yekatit-12 hospital medical college on ward admitted patients between December 2020 and
October 2021. All ward and ICU admitted stroke patients during the study period were enrolled.
Direct and indirect costs from first stroke attack up to discharge were obtained. We used multiple
linear regression analysis to determine factors associated with hospital cost.
Results: A total of 118 stroke patients admitted to the study hospitals were enrolled and final
analysis was performed on 99 patients. The mean acute stroke care cost per patient at the study
hospitals was 14616.5 birr (228.3USD), direct and indirect costs 10209.55 birr (214.4 USD) and 4514.
6 birrs (94.8 USD) respectively. The average length of stay was 9.38 days. Multiple linear
regression analysis of the natural log of the total acute stroke care cost showed variation in costs
were largely attributable to: the length of hospital stays, ICU admission and rural residence.
Conclusions: Acute stroke care cost in Addis Ababa, government tertiary hospitals are lower than
previous African studies. Direct medical cost contributes the majority of acute stroke care cost.
Length of hospital stay and ICU admission were the cost driving factors.
Description
Keywords
Developing country, Ethiopia, Direct cost, Acute stroke care cost.