Rapid systematic review of readmissions costs after stroke

Autores da FMUP

• Bernardo Manuel De Sousa Pinto

  Autor

Participantes de fora da FMUP

• Abreu P.
• Correia M.
• Azevedo E.
• Magalhães R.

Unidades de investigação

• Laboratório Associado RISE- Rede de Investigação em Saúde

  

  Investigador

  Fernando Carlos De Landér Schmitt

• Medicina da Comunidade, Informação e Decisão em Saúde

• RISE-Health

  

  Investigador

  Fernando Carlos De Landér Schmitt

Abstract

Background: Stroke readmissions are considered a marker of health quality and may pose a burden to healthcare systems. However, information on the costs of post-stroke readmissions has not been systematically reviewed. Objectives: To systematically review information about the costs of hospital readmissions of patients whose primary diagnosis in the index admission was a stroke. Methods: A rapid systematic review was performed on studies reporting post-stroke readmission costs in EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Web of Science up to June 2021. Relevant data were extracted and presented by readmission and stroke type. The original study’s currency values were converted to 2021 US dollars based on the purchasing power parity for gross domestic product. The reporting quality of each of the included studies was assessed using the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) checklist. Results: Forty-four studies were identified. Considerable variability in readmission costs was observed among countries, readmissions, stroke types, and durations of the follow-up period. The UK and the USA were the countries reporting the highest readmission costs. In the first year of follow-up, stroke readmission costs accounted for 2.1–23.4%, of direct costs and 3.3–21% of total costs. Among the included studies, only one identified predictors of readmission costs. Conclusion: Our review showed great variability in readmission costs, mainly due to differences in study design, countries and health services, follow-up duration, and reported readmission data. The results of this study can be used to inform policymakers and healthcare providers about the burden of stroke readmissions. Future studies should not solely focus on improving data standardization but should also prioritize the identification of stroke readmission cost predictors. © The Author(s) 2024.

Keywords

• bibliographic database; brain hemorrhage; cerebrovascular accident; data analysis; data extraction; data quality assessment; data synthesis; follow up; geographic distribution; gross national product; health care cost; hospital readmission; human; ischemic stroke; predictor variable; purchasing power; Review; subarachnoid hemorrhage; systematic review; transient ischemic attack; United Kingdom; United States