Cost of Stroke Care at Public Hospitals in Brazzaville and Implication of Third Parties in Stroke Care Expenditure

Abstract

Background: Among the main challenges of healthcare system throughout the world, there is stroke management. It is important to have data on the in-hospital costs of stroke care to help decision-makers to implement a health insurance system. Objectives: To evaluate the in-hospital costs of stroke care in Brazzaville; to determine the factors influencing the total mean in-hospital cost of stroke care; to identify third parties contributing to stroke care expenditure. Methods: This was a cross-sectional prospective and analytical study. It was carried out at 4 public hospitals in Brazzaville (University Hospital Center, Chinese and Congolese Friendship Hospital, Talangaï Hospital and Makélékélé Hospital), from May to August 2019 (4 months). It focused on patients who had a first episode of stroke confirmed by brain imaging and were at least 18 years old. The bottom-up approach was used to determine the in-hospital costs of stroke care. Results: This study included 109 patients who fulfilled inclusion criteria. Their mean age was 59.2 ± 13.7 years old, with limits of 35 and 90 years old. The total direct in-hospital cost of stroke care was 47,308,330 francs CFA (72,122 euro). The total mean in-hospital cost of stroke care was 1,389,590 francs CFA (2118 euro). The mean cost of intracerebral hemorrhage care was 510,988 francs CFA (779 euro) versus 373,457 francs CFA (569 euro) for cerebral arterial infarction care. The following factors affected the total mean cost of stroke care: type of hospital (p Conclusion: In Congo, the mean in-hospital cost of stroke care is elevated considering the guaranteed minimum wage of 70,000 francs CFA (107 euro). Five factors affect the total mean cost of stroke care. Patient families are the main financial assistance system for stroke care expenditure. To minimize the heavy financial burden induced by stroke on patients, households and families, it is important to implement a health insurance system and strengthen the stroke prevention program.