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Treatment Charges for Traumatic Brain Injury Among Older Adults at a Trauma Center
Jennifer S Albrecht1, Julia F Slejko, Deborah M Stein
1Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore (Drs Albrecht and Smith); Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore (Dr Slejko); Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Critical Care, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore (Dr Stein); and Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research-Organized Research Center, National Study Center for Trauma and Emergency Medical Services, University of Maryland, Baltimore (Dr Smith).
Objective:
To provide charge estimates of treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI), including both hospital and physician charges, among adults 65 years and older treated at a trauma center.
Methods:
We identified older adults treated for TBI during 2008-2012 (n = 1843) at Maryland's Primary Adult Resource Center and obtained hospital and physician charges separately. Analyses were stratified by sex and all charges were inflated to 2012 dollars. Total TBI charges were modeled as a function of covariates using a generalized linear model.
Results:
Women comprised 48% of the sample. The mean unadjusted total TBI hospitalization charge for adults 65 years and older was $36 075 (standard deviation, $63 073). Physician charges comprised 15% of total charges. Adjusted mean charges were lower in women than in men (adjusted difference, -$894; 95% confidence interval, -$277 to -$1512). Length of hospital and intensive care unit stay were associated with the highest charges.
Conclusions:
This study provides the first estimates of hospital and physician charges associated with hospitalization for TBI among older adults at a trauma center that will aid in resource allocation, triage decisions, and healthcare policy.
