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. 2009 Jul-Aug;124(4):551-60.
doi: 10.1177/003335490912400412.

Health and economic burden of traumatic brain injury: Missouri, 2001-2005

Noaman A Kayani  1 , Sherri Homan, Shumei Yun, Bao Ping Zhu
Affiliations

Health and economic burden of traumatic brain injury: Missouri, 2001-2005

Noaman A Kayani et al. Public Health Rep. 2009 Jul-Aug.

Abstract

Objective: We examined the financial and social costs resulting from traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Missouri.

Methods: We computed mortality rates from death certificates, the direct cost of TBI from hospital and emergency department (ED) visit charges, the social cost in terms of years of potential life lost (YPLL) using an abridged Missouri life table, and the indirect financial cost in terms of lost productivity due to premature death for all TBI and four major causes of TBI in Missouri.

Results: During 2001-2005, a mean of 1358 lives were lost due to TBI in Missouri. Four major causes-unintentional falls, motor vehicle traffic crashes, motorcycle crashes, and firearms-accounted for 88% of all TBI deaths. We estimated the annual direct medical cost of TBI at $95 million, or about $1.67 million per 100,000 Missourians. This cost increased by about 60% between 2001 and 2005. The four major causes of TBI accounted for 68% of all direct medical costs of TBI. We estimated the cost per hospitalization and ED visit at $6948 and the indirect social cost at 48,501 YPLL. During this period, the mean age of TBI fatality was 44 years. We determined the lost productivity due to TBI mortality--$1.1 billion, or about $18.8 million per 100,000 Missourians--to be three times as high for males as for females.

Conclusions: The types of costs covered in this study underestimated the total cost of TBI in Missouri, as we did not include outpatient care, rehabilitation, and drug costs. Nevertheless, we found the health and economic burden from medical care and mortality related to TBI to be substantial in Missouri.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Traumatic brain injury rate for emergency department visits and hospitalizations for Missouri residents, 1998–2005a
Figure 2
Figure 2
Dispositions of traumatic brain injury patients from hospitalizations and emergency department visits in Missouri, 2001–2005
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Kreutzer JS, Kolakowsky-Hayner SA, Ripley D, Cifu DX, Rosenthal M, Bushnik T, et al. Charges and lengths of stay for acute and inpatient rehabilitation treatment of traumatic brain injury, 1990–1996. Brain Inj. 2001;15:763–74. - PubMed
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics (US) Classifications of diseases and functioning & disability. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) [cited 2005 Oct 12] Available from: URL: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/otheract/icd9/abticd9.htm.
    1. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Missouri information for community assessment: death MICA, 2001–2004 [cited 2005 Dec 1] Available from: URL: http://www.dhss.mo.gov/DeathMICA/index.html.
    1. Langlois JA, Rutland-Brown W, Thomas KE. Traumatic brain injury in the United States: emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (US); 2004.

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