Direct Health Care Costs After Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

Direct costs in the first year after SCI are substantial. In the subsequent 5 years, individuals with SCI will continue to accrue greater costs than the general public.

Direct costs of adult traumatic spinal cord injury in ontario

“…Furthermore, and as previously mentioned, Dryden et al 10 found that the initial hospitalization (which included both the initial acute care and inpatient rehabilitation) costs for newly injured SCI patients were approximately $6.3 million (2002 CDN $) or $7.2 million (2005 CDN $), substantially lower than the costs reported in the present study. The present study separated the acute care inpatient index event and the inpatient rehabilitation costs, with the finding that the average total direct costs for rehabilitation are more than three times the average total costs for the acute care inpatient index event, in accordance with the longer length of stay in rehabilitation (mean 90.2 days ± 64.3) 8 versus acute care (mean 21.7 days ± 31.4).…”

“…Further, the data sources do not provide measures of severity such as the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale, neurological outcomes or functional recovery of persons with SCI, which have been previously shown to be substantially associated with direct costs of health care utilization in traumatic SCI. 10,22 Despite these limitations, the current study has several strengths. This study has provided a comprehensive, recent estimate of the direct health care costs of SCI throughout the various stages of medical treatment-the initial acute care episode, inpatient rehabilitation and ED visits and/or hospital readmissions.…”

“…Dryden et al 10 determined that hospitalizations were the highest category of expenditures ($7.3 million 2002 CDN$ or $8.4 million 2005 CDN $). Furthermore, and as previously mentioned, Dryden et al 10 found that the initial hospitalization (which included both the initial acute care and inpatient rehabilitation) costs for newly injured SCI patients were approximately $6.3 million (2002 CDN $) or $7.2 million (2005 CDN $), substantially lower than the costs reported in the present study.…”

“…One Canadian population-based cohort study, on the direct health care costs after traumatic SCI, followed individuals who sustained a SCI in Alberta, Canada, from their date of injury to 6 years after injury. 10 This study of 233 newly injured SCI patients determined that attributable health care costs in the first year after injury were $121 600 (2002 Canadian (CDN) $) per person with a complete SCI and $42 100 per person with an incomplete SCI. In the subsequent 5 years, annual attributable costs were $5 400 and $2 800 for persons with complete and incomplete SCI, respectively.…”

“…9 Beyond these medical complications, individuals who sustain a SCI frequently require assistance with personal care and activities of daily living. 10 Thus, SCI results in significant initial and ongoing health care costs, which may escalate over time with advancing medical technology and increasing life expectancies among this population. 11,12 As such, accurate cost data are necessary for care planning and appropriate decision-making regarding resource allocation.…”