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. 2015 Sep;103(9):814-20.
doi: 10.1002/bdra.23379. Epub 2015 Jun 10.

Population-based study of hospital costs for hospitalizations of infants, children, and adults with a congenital heart defect, Arkansas 2006 to 2011

Regina M Simeone  1 , Matthew E Oster  1   2 , Charlotte A Hobbs  3 , James M Robbins  3 , R Thomas Collins  3 , Margaret A Honein  1
Affiliations

Population-based study of hospital costs for hospitalizations of infants, children, and adults with a congenital heart defect, Arkansas 2006 to 2011

Regina M Simeone et al. Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol. 2015 Sep.

Abstract

Background: Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are common birth defects and are associated with high hospital costs. The objectives of this study were to assess hospitalization costs, across the lifespan, of patients with CHDs in Arkansas.

Methods: Data from the 2006 to 2011 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Arkansas State Inpatient Databases were used. We included hospitalizations of patients whose admission occurred between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2011, and included a principal or secondary CHD ICD-9-CM diagnosis code (745.0-747.49, except 747.0 and 745.5 for preterm infants). Hospitalizations were excluded if they involved out-of-state residents, normal newborn births, or if missing data included age at admission, state of residence, or hospital charges. Children were defined as those < 18 years-old at time of admission.

Results: Between 2006 and 2011, there were 2,242,484 inpatient hospitalizations in Arkansas. There were 9071 (0.4%) hospitalizations with a CHD, including 5,158 hospitalizations of children (2.2% of hospitalizations among children) and 3,913 hospitalizations of adults (0.2% of hospitalizations of adults). Hospital costs for these CHD hospitalizations totaled $355,543,696. The average annual cost of CHD hospitalizations in Arkansas was $59,257,283 during this time period. Infants accounted for 72% of all CHD-related hospital costs; total costs of CHD hospitalizations for children were almost five times those of hospitalization costs for adults with CHD.

Conclusion: Hospitalizations with CHDs account for a disproportionate share of hospital costs in Arkansas. Hospitalizations of children with CHD accounted for a higher proportion of total hospitalizations than did hospitalizations of adults with CHD.

Keywords: arkansas; congenital heart defects; healthcare cost and utilization project; hospital costs; state inpatient database.

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References

    1. AHRQ [Accessed March, 2014];Cost-to-charge ratio files. 2013a Available at: http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/db/state/costtocharge.jsp.
    1. AHRQ [Accessed February 12, 2015];Cost-to-charge ratio files: 2011 Central distributor State Inpatient Database User Guide. 2013b Available at: http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/db/state/CCR2011CDUserGuide.pdf.
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    1. Arkansas Children’s Hospital [Accessed February 12, 2015];Adult congenital heart disease program. 2013a Available at: http://www.archildrens.org/Services/Adult-Congenital-Heart-Disease.aspx.

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