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. 2021 Aug;51(8):681-693.
doi: 10.4070/kcj.2021.0029. Epub 2021 May 21.

Economic Burden of Heart Failure in Asian Countries with Different Healthcare Systems

Teerapat Yingchoncharoen  1 , Tao Cheng Wu  2 , Dong Ju Choi  3 , Tiong Kiam Ong  4 , Houng Bang Liew  5 , Myeong Chan Cho  6
Affiliations

Economic Burden of Heart Failure in Asian Countries with Different Healthcare Systems

Teerapat Yingchoncharoen et al. Korean Circ J. 2021 Aug.

Abstract

Background and objectives: Heart failure (HF) poses substantial economic burden, primarily driven by high hospitalization and mortality rates. This study aimed to understand the economic burden of HF in 4 Asian countries under varying healthcare systems.

Methods: This was a non-interventional, retrospective study conducted in South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Malaysia through medical chart review. Eligible patients included those who had either ≥1 hospitalization or ≥2 outpatient visits from January 1st to December 31st, 2014, and at least one year of follow-up. Resource use and direct healthcare costs (adjusted to 2015 USD) of HF were assessed. HF costs for subgroups stratified by age and sex were assessed.

Results: A total of 568 patients were recruited from South Korea (n=200), Taiwan (n=200), Thailand (n=100) and Malaysia (n=68). The proportion of patients hospitalized ranged from 20.0% to 93.5% (South Korea 20.0%, Thailand 49.0%, Malaysia 70.6%, and Taiwan 93.5%). The overall annual HF cost per patient was $2,357, $4,513, $3,513 and $1,443 in South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Malaysia, respectively; hospitalized HF care costs were $10,714, $4,790, $7,181 and $1,776, respectively. The length of stay was more than 12.2 days except in Malaysia. No specific trend was observed in subgroup analysis.

Conclusions: In Asia, HF poses significant economic burden and hospitalization has emerged as the major cost driver among healthcare costs. A streamlined treatment strategy reducing hospitalization rate can minimize the economic burden.

Keywords: Cost of illness; Health care costs; Heart failure; Hospitalization; Length of stay.

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Conflict of interest statement

T.Y., T.C.W., D.J.C., O.T.K., H.B.L., and M.C.C report grants from Novartis. Any financial or other conflicts that could impact study conclusion does not exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Costs and resource use for hospitalized patients in four Asian countries.
LOS = length of stay.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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