Healthcare resource utilization, treatment patterns, and cost of care among patients with thermal burns and inpatient autografting in two large privately insured populations in the United States

Abstract

The current standard of care for severe burns includes autografting; however, there is scarce knowledge regarding the long-term economic burden associated with thermal burns and inpatient autografting. The objective of this study was to characterize healthcare resource utilization, treatment patterns, and cost of care for thermal burn patients in two large privately insured populations in the United States who underwent inpatient autografting between 01/01/2011 and 06/30/2016. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, healthcare resource utilization, and total cost were examined during baseline (one year before the initial hospitalization with autografting) and two-year evaluation period. There was a substantial economic burden on thermal burn patients who received inpatient autografts (HIRD® database [HIRD]: N=371, mean age=39.6 years, male=67.1%; MarketScan® database [MarketScan]: N=698, mean age=38.2 years, male=63.3%) in the year 1 evaluation period (HIRD: mean=$184,805; MarketScan: mean=$155,272), which was mainly driven by the initial hospitalization with autografting (HIRD: mean=$157,384 and MarketScan: mean=$131,470). The percentage of patients with burn-related healthcare resource utilization and average burn-related costs were considerably reduced in the year 2 evaluation period (HIRD: mean=$3020; MarketScan: mean=$1990). Consistent with previous studies, mean length of hospital stay (days) and mean total medical costs generally increased as the percentage of total body surface area burned increased.

Keywords: Burn injury; Cost; Economic; Healthcare resource utilization; Thermal; Treatment patterns.