Estimation and predictors of direct hospitalisation expenses and in-hospital mortality for patients who had a stroke in a low-middle income country: evidence from a nationwide cross-sectional study in Iranian hospitals

OBJECTIVE: Stroke is the second most prevalent cardiovascular disease in Iran. This study investigates the estimation and predictors of hospitalisation expenses and in-hospital mortality for patients who had a stroke in Iranian hospitals. SETTING: Patients who had a stroke in Iran between 2019 and 2020 were identified through the data collected from the Iran Health Insurance Organization and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. This study is the first to conduct a pervasive, nationwide investigation. DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional, prevalence-based study. Generalised linear models and a multiple logistic regression model were used to determine the predictors of hospitalisation expenses and in-hospital mortality for patients who had a stroke. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 19 150 patients suffering from stroke were studied. RESULTS: Mean hospitalisation expenses per patient who had a stroke in Iran amounted to US$590.91±974.44 (mean±SD). Mean daily hospitalisation expenses per patient who had a stroke were US$55.18±37.89. The in-hospital mortality for patients who had a stroke was 18.80%. Younger people (aged ≤49 years) had significantly higher expenses than older patients. The OR of in-hospital mortality in haemorrhagic stroke was significantly higher by 1.539 times (95% CI, 1.401 to 1.691) compared with ischaemic and unspecified strokes. Compared with patients covered by the rural fund, patients covered by Iranian health insurance had significantly higher costs by 1.14 times (95% CI, 1.186 to 1.097) and 1.319 times (95% CI, 1.099 to 1.582) higher mortality. There were also significant geographical variations in patients who had a stroke’s expenses and mortality rates. CONCLUSION: Applying cost-effective stroke prevention strategies among the younger population (≤49 years old) is strongly recommended. Migration to universal health insurance can effectively reduce the inequality gap among all insured patients.