Chien-Min Chen , Chia-Hao Chang, Hung-Chih Hsu, Chu-Hsu Lin , Kai-Hua Chen
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi, 613 Puzih, Taiwan. E-mail: fateman53@yahoo.com.tw
DOI: 10.2340/16501977-1894

Objective: To investigate the predictors of total medical costs for first-ever ischaemic stroke patients transferred to the rehabilitation ward from the acute ward.
Patients: A total of 311 first-ever ischaemic stroke patients (mean age 68. 9 (standard deviation (SD) 12. 2) years).
Methods: Data, including common complications and medical events, from July 2002 to June 2012 were collected retrospectively from a regional hospital in Taiwan in order to study the potential predictors for medical costs. Significant variables from univariate analysis were included in a stepwise multivariate linear regression analysis.
Results: The mean total medical cost per patient was USD 4,606. 80 (SD 2,926. 10). The significant predictors for cost were days of total stay (coefficient: 70. 3; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 56. 4–84. 3), impaired consciousness (coefficient: 1,031. 3; 95% CI = 490. 8–1,571. 8), hypoalbuminaemia in the acute ward (coefficient: 2,045. 1; 95% CI = 1,054. 6–3,035. 7), fever (coefficient: 927. 0; 95% CI = 193. 3–1,660. 7), hypokalaemia (coefficient: 2,698. 4; 95% CI = 660. 5–4,736. 4), and hyponatraemia (coefficient: 1,123. 3; 95% CI = 72. 2–2,174. 5) in the rehabilitation ward (R2 = 0. 416).
Conclusion: These findings can help clinicians to identify risk factors for total medical costs in these patients and reduce costs by minimizing some complications (hypoalbuminaemia, fever, hypokalaemia, and hyponatraemia).