Cost of hospitalizing asthma patients in a regional hospital in Thailand.
OBJECTIVE
The hospitalization of asthma patients accounts for substantial costs in any health-care system. However, the utilization of medical resources and the cost of hospitalizing asthma patients in Thailand have never been evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate the utilization of health-care resources and itemize the cost of hospitalizing asthma patients in a regional hospital in north-east Thailand.


METHODS
A cross-sectional, retrospective study was conducted at Surin Hospital, a 697-bed, regional hospital in north-east Thailand. The study included 183 adults (> or =15 years of age) who were admitted with acute asthma. Demographic data, resource-utilization parameters and itemized costs were recorded.


RESULTS
The average hospital cost was 5,809.3 +/- 6,587.4 Thai Baht (US $134.5 +/- 152.5) per patient (range, 740-57,980 Thai Baht or US $17.1-1,342.1). Medications were the primary hospital expense (47.2%), followed by hospital charges (13.5%), nursing care (13.0%) and respiratory therapy (12.2%). Fifteen per cent of patients accounted for 45% of total hospital costs. Significant predictors of increased total hospital cost were: (i) age > or =60 years; (ii) presence of comorbid conditions; (iii) admission to the intensive care unit; and/or (iv) prolonged hospital stay.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite the low unit costs for inpatient care in Thailand, the cost of hospitalizing asthma patients (especially the elderly) constitutes a substantial burden to the health-care system.
Chuesakoolvanich
Kittisak
K
Department of Medicine, Surin Hospital, Surin, Thailand. chuesakool@yahoo.com
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017721:Hospital Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006767:Hospitals, District / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000191:economics; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D040841:Resource Allocation / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013785:Thailand
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents