National Trends in the Use and Cost of Hospital Care in the U.S. for Sickle Cell Disease

Olubiyi Aworunse, The University of Texas School of Public Health

Abstract

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a genetic blood disorder that affects the red blood cells which is characterized by high utilization. The last estimate for hospitalization cost for the disease was done a decade ago. The primary objectives of this study are to examine trends in the use and cost of hospital care for people with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) in the United States over the last 21 years and assess the impact of Hydroxyurea treatment. The study made use of the National Inpatient Sample data from 1993 to 2013 to update and extend prior studies by deriving annual estimates of hospital use and cost and determining time trends. An interrupted time series analysis will be conducted to determine if the introduction of Hydroxyurea treatment has led to reductions in utilization and costs while controlling for time trends and hospital covariates. The results indicate an increase in the number of SCD admissions in the US, with a reduction in the mean length of stay. The total direct cost for primary SCD admission was estimated to be $ 762 million in 2013.

Subject Area

Biostatistics|Economics|Public policy

Recommended Citation

Aworunse, Olubiyi, "National Trends in the Use and Cost of Hospital Care in the U.S. for Sickle Cell Disease" (2017). Texas Medical Center Dissertations (via ProQuest). AAI10275138.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/dissertations/AAI10275138

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