Related Experiment Videos
Relationship between functional disability and costs one and two years post stroke
Ingrid Lekander1,2, Carl Willers1,3, Mia von Euler3,4
1Ivbar Institute AB, Stockholm, Sweden.
Plos One
|April 7, 2017
Summary
Stroke care costs in Sweden vary significantly based on disability and type, with hemorrhagic stroke being more expensive. Improving patient function can reduce the societal burden of stroke.
Area of Science:
- Health Economics
- Neurology
- Public Health
Background:
- Stroke significantly impacts mortality, functional ability, quality of life, and healthcare costs.
- Understanding the economic burden is crucial for resource allocation and policy development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the costs of stroke care in Sweden.
- To analyze costs based on disability level and stroke type (ischemic vs. hemorrhagic).
Main Methods:
- Utilized a research database linking multiple registries for resource use data.
- Estimated direct (healthcare, municipal services) and indirect (productivity loss) costs.
- Categorized costs by stroke type and functional disability using the Modified Rankin Scale (mRS).
Main Results:
- Average annual stroke care costs ranged from 350,000 to 480,000 SEK (€37,000-€50,000) per patient.
- Costs varied widely (100,000-1,100,000 SEK/€10,000-€120,000) based on disability and stroke type.
- Hemorrhagic stroke (ICH) and higher disability levels incurred significantly higher costs than ischemic stroke (IS).
Conclusions:
- Functional outcome is a primary driver of stroke care costs.
- Hemorrhagic stroke, associated with worse outcomes, consistently resulted in higher costs.
- Interventions improving functional outcomes can reduce the societal economic burden of stroke.