Economic Burden Imposed on Stroke Patients and Its Determinants: A Cross-Sectional Study From Semnan, Iran, in 2024

Stroke is a disease that, due to its nature, can impose various costs on patients. Therefore, identifying the amount and types of patient costs is essential to evaluate the level of social and economic protection provided by relevant institutions.

This study examined the financial burden imposed on stroke patients and its determinants.

This descriptive-analytical study was conducted cross-sectionally in 2024. The study included 270 participants, selected based on data recorded in healthcare systems and through a census approach. The data collection tool was a standardized questionnaire previously used in similar studies. We first analyzed the collected data descriptively and then analytically. We used t-tests and ANOVA to assess statistical relationships between demographic/background variables and the imposed costs (depending on whether the variables were binary or multi-level). To evaluate significant differences between defined groups, we applied Tukey's post hoc test.

On average, stroke patients and their households bear an annual cost of 561 million IRR ($1514), and the total economic burden of stroke on patients and their households in Semnan in 2024 is estimated at approximately 151,557,260,000 IRR ($408,755.8). About 60% of these costs are direct medical expenses, while direct non-medical and indirect costs comprise about 20%. In the analytical section, the study found significant associations between total costs and variables such as marital status, employment status, household income level, having supplementary health insurance, and the patient's experience of stroke complications (p < 0.05).

Most stroke patients face a wide and significant range of healthcare costs that they cannot afford due to their sharply reduced ability-and that of their family members-to participate in economically productive activities, along with generally low-income levels in Iran.