Societal burden of stroke rehabilitation: Costs and health outcomes after admission to stroke rehabilitation

Winke van Meijeren-Pont, Sietske J. Tamminga, Paulien H. Goossens, Iris F. Groeneveld, Henk Arwert, Jorit J. L. Meesters, Radha Rambaran Mishre, Thea P. M. Vlieland, Wilbert B. van den Hout

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6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To estimate societal costs and changes in health-related quality of life in stroke patients, up to one year after start of medical specialist rehabilitation. DESIGN: Observational. PATIENTS: Consecutive patients who received medical specialist rehabilitation in the Stroke Cohort Outcomes of REhabilitation (SCORE) study. METHODS: Participants completed questionnaires on health-related quality of life (EuroQol EQ-5D-3L), absenteeism, out-of-pocket costs and healthcare use at start and end of rehabilitation and 6 and 12 months after start. Clinical characteristics and rehabilitation costs were extracted from the medical and financial records, respectively. RESULTS: From 2014 to 2016 a total of 313 stroke patients completed the study. Mean age was 59 (standard deviation (SD) 12) years, 185 (59%) were male, and 244 (78%) inpatients. Mean costs for inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation were US$70,601 and US$27,473, respectively. For inpatients, utility (an expression of quality of life) increased significantly between baseline and 6 months (EQ-5D-3L 0.66-0.73, p = 0.01; visual analogue scale 0.77-0.82, p < 0.001) and between baseline and 12 months (visual analogue scale 0.77-0.81, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: One-year societal costs from after the start of rehabilitation in stroke patients were considerable. Future research should also include costs prior to rehabilitation. For inpatients, health-related quality of life, expressed in terms of utility, improved significantly over time.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberjrm00201
Pages (from-to)jrm00201
JournalJournal of rehabilitation medicine
Volume53
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Jun 2021
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • cost analysis
  • health-related quality of life
  • rehabilitation
  • stroke
  • utility

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