Publication:

Cost effectiveness analysis in the management of stroke in a tertiary care hospital

Background Stroke has a high economic impact on the society especially in a developing country like India. In India health insurance doesn’t cover all people leading to out of pocket expenditure. The objective of the present study was to study the cost of illness and outcome of stroke in a tertiary care hospital.

Methods Direct medical and nonmedical costs were obtained after 28 days of follow-up. The outcome of the stroke was measured by modified Rankin scale (mRS).

Results The mean age of the patients was 65.38±13.98 years. Majority of the patients suffered from ischemic stroke and belonged to lower middle socioeconomic group. The mean cost of stroke was INR 39819. There was improvement in the mRS score after 28 days following treatment of acute stroke.

Conclusions Direct medical costs forms major component of cost of stroke. Early management and hospital discharge can reduce the economic burden of stroke.