Treatment Costs of Stroke Related to Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation Patients in India-A Multicenter Observational...

The objective of this study was to quantify the direct medical and nonmedical costs of stroke among patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation in India.

An observational, multicenter cost-of-illness study was conducted within large tertiary care hospitals across three metropolitan cities in India. Medical chart records of eligible patients who were hospitalized during the study period were reviewed. A standardized data collection form was designed and used to capture resources expended in the treatment and management of stroke during the inpatient stay. In addition, direct medical and nonmedical outpatient care resources and informal care burden were captured using a detailed questionnaire, following the patients' discharge. Factors associated with acute care costs were investigated using multivariate linear regression analysis.

Data were collected on a total of 400 patients with incident strokes. Their mean age was 61.4 ± 9.4 years. About 84% of the patients were diagnosed with ischemic stroke. On average, patients spent 16 ± 10 days in the hospital. Total mean direct health care costs per patient amounted to `504,973 (US $8,020) during the first year, with about 47% (mean `235,471; US $3,750) of the total costs due to the index hospitalization. The modified Rankin scale score was strongly associated with costs, whereby severely disabled patients had 32% higher costs (P = 0.001) compared with moderately disabled patients during the first 3 months postdischarge.

Overall, the financial burden associated with medical care for patients with stroke with atrial fibrillation along with rehabilitation and long-term care costs places a significant demand on health services in India.