Progression of hospitalizations and hospital costs for Parkinson’s disease in the Brazilian population

Abstract

Introduction: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease in the world. Its incidence increases with advancing age. Therefore, in Brazil, a country in transition of age structure, it is relevant to assess the progression of hospitalizations and hospital costs for PD over the years. Objective: Describe the progression of hospitalizations and hospital costs for PD in Brazilian’s public health system, SUS, between 2008-2020. Design and setting: Descriptive ecological observational study made in Brazil, Salvador – BA. Methods: Data from hospitalization and hospital costs were collected from DATASUS in the 5 Brazilian regions. Statistical analysis was based on measures of dispersion and central tendency. Results: Between 2008-2020, 11,565 admissions for PD were notified. The highest numbers of hospitalizations corresponded to the Southeast region (annual average = 370.1), while the smallest to the North region (annual average = 28.4). Regarding the high expenses resulting from hospitalizations, it was observed that the Southeast obtained higher costs with hospital services (annual average = 1,417,716.8), while the North had the lowest (annual average = 18,611.01). Conclusion: Southeast region stood out for having the highest numbers in costs and hospitalizations, the opposite of what happened in North. Brazilian regional disparities, especially regarding to demographic density, HDI, socioeconomic development and access to health care, may explain these demographically uneven.