Factors related to healthcare costs of road traffic accidents in Bucaramanga, Colombia

OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors related to overall healthcare costs of road traffic accidents in Bucaramanga, Colombia. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted through the analysis of road traffic accident records that took place in 2019 in Bucaramanga, Colombia. Cost quartiles in dollars were compared using Pearson’s chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests. Odds ratios were also calculated in logistic regression. RESULTS: 3,150 road accidents were reported in 2019 involving 7,038 people, of which 812 had information related to healthcare costs in health care institutions. The median cost was 56.59 USD (RI = 29.35–140.15), average cost of 290.11 USD ± 731.22 (95%CI: 239.74–340.48). A higher possibility to be in the 4th quartile was found when persons were under 18 years of age (OR = 4.88; 95%CI: 1.30–18.32) or 46–60 years (OR = 3.66; 95%CI: 1.01–13.30), the type of vehicle involved is motorcycle (OR = 2.79; 95%CI: 1.25–6.24), bicycle (OR = 7.66; 95%CI: 2.70–21.68), having a head injury (OR = 4.50; 95%CI: 2.61–7.76) and hypothetical drunk driving (OR = 12.44; 95%CI: 2.01–76.87). CONCLUSIONS: Relevant factors in healthcare costs were riding a motorcycle or bicycle, having a head injury, being under 18 years of age or 46 to 60 years of age and hypothetical drunk driving. It is important to implement prevention measures based on identified factors to reduce road accident rate and therefore, its socioeconomic costs.