Characteristics and correlates of rehabilitation charges during inpatient traumatic brain injury rehabilitation in Singapore.

OBJECTIVES

A prospective study of 91 consecutive traumatic brain injury admissions to rehabilitation over a 2-year period to determine factors impacting on rehabilitation charges.

METHODS

Discharge records of 91 adult traumatic brain injury patients comprising total unsubsidized billings for each completed inpatient rehabilitation episode were used to derive total charges. Co-variates analysed included demographic, acute traumatic brain injury and rehabilitation variables including the Modified Barthel Index score.

RESULTS

The total median rehabilitation charge per episode was S$7845.50 (range: S$970.55-$44,817.20) [1 Euro=S$2.10]. The top 3 contributory median total charges/episode included bed, board and nursing (S$5616.00), occupational therapy (S$606.00), and physical therapy (S$526.00). Patients with lower admission Glasgow Coma Scale scores, longer post-traumatic amnesia duration, dysphagia and medical complications during rehabilitation, lower admission Modified Barthel Index scores, longer acute and rehabilitation length of stay had significantly higher rehabilitation charges (p<0.001). Using multiple regression analyses, only rehabilitation length of stay and change in Modified Barthel Index were significantly correlated with total rehabilitation charges (p<0.001).

DISCUSSION

Measures to reduce rehabilitation length of stay, to prevent medical complications, to facilitate transfers to rehabilitation, and expedient discharge planning may help to reduce rehabilitation charges.

CONCLUSION

This study has potential implications for healthcare resource planning for traumatic brain injury rehabilitation.