Division of Global Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2013 Jul 22;13:281. doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-13-281.
Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a substantial cause of mortality and disability globally. There is little published information regarding healthcare resource utilization following RTIs, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). The aim of this study was to assess total hospital charges and length of stay (LOS) associated with RTIs in Iran and to explore the association with patients' socio-demographic characteristics, insurance status and injury-related factors (e.g. type of road users and safety equipment).
The study was based on the Iranian National Trauma Registry Database (INTRD), which includes data from 14 general hospitals in eight major cities in Iran, for the years 2000 to 2004. 8,356 patients with RTI admitted to the hospitals were included in the current study. The variables extracted for the analysis included total hospital charges and length of stay, age, gender, socio-economic and insurance status, injury characteristics, medical outcome and use of safety equipment among the patients. Univariable analysis using non-parametric methods and multivariable regression analysis were performed to identify the factors associated with total hospital charges and LOS.
The mean hospital charges for the patients were 1,115,819 IRR (SD=1,831,647 IRR, US$128 ± US$210). The mean LOS for the patients was 6.8 (SD =8 days). Older age, being a bicycle rider, higher injury severity and longer LOS were associated with higher hospital charges. Longer LOS was associated with being male, having lower education level, having a medical insurance, being pedestrian or motorcyclist, being a blue-collar worker and having more severe injuries. The reported use of safety equipment was very low and did not have significant effect on the hospital charges and LOS.
The study demonstrated that the hospital charges and LOS associated with RTI varied by age, gender, socio-economic status, insurance status, injury characteristics and health outcomes of the patients. The results of the study provide information that can be of importance in the planning and design of road traffic injury control strategies.
道路交通伤害（RTIs）是全球范围内导致死亡和残疾的一个重要原因。有关 RTIs 后医疗资源利用的信息很少，特别是在低收入和中等收入国家（LMICs）。本研究旨在评估伊朗与 RTIs 相关的总住院费用和住院时间（LOS），并探讨与患者社会人口统计学特征、保险状况和与损伤相关的因素（如道路使用者类型和安全设备）之间的关联。
本研究基于伊朗国家创伤登记数据库（INTRD），该数据库包含了 2000 年至 2004 年来自伊朗 8 个主要城市的 14 家综合医院的数据。目前的研究纳入了 8356 名因 RTI 住院的患者。分析中提取的变量包括患者的总住院费用和住院时间、年龄、性别、社会经济和保险状况、损伤特征、医疗结局以及安全设备的使用情况。使用非参数方法进行单变量分析和多变量回归分析，以确定与总住院费用和 LOS 相关的因素。
患者的平均住院费用为 1115819 里亚尔（SD=1831647 里亚尔，128 美元±210 美元）。患者的平均 LOS 为 6.8（SD=8 天）。年龄较大、自行车骑手、较高的损伤严重程度和较长的 LOS 与较高的住院费用相关。LOS 较长与男性、较低的教育水平、医疗保险、行人或摩托车手、蓝领工人和更严重的损伤相关。安全设备的使用报告非常低，对住院费用和 LOS 没有显著影响。
本研究表明，与 RTI 相关的住院费用和 LOS 因年龄、性别、社会经济地位、保险状况、损伤特征和患者的健康结局而异。研究结果提供了可用于规划和设计道路交通伤害控制策略的重要信息。
