Economic Burden of Burn Injuries in Taleghani Hospital in Ahvaz

Burn injuries cause severe devastating losses and early death. Care and treatment of burns patients is very costly. The purpose of this study was to calculate the economic burden of care and treatment of burn injuries in a hospital in Ahvaz, Iran. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out in 2015 in Taleghani Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran. A total of 315 patients participated in the study. Data was collected, using a valid and reliable questionnaire, through interviews with patients or their relatives on the day of discharge and examining their medical records. Data analysis was done using standard statistical tests and the SPSS (V.22) software. The mean total cost of care and treatment of an inpatient with burns was 117,071,803.00 Iranian Rials (equivalent to US$ 4,063.00), the mean daily cost being 8,501,946.00 Iranian Rials (equivalent to US$ 295.00). Direct medical costs, direct non-medical costs and indirect costs accounted for 94.1%, 1.4% and 4.5% of the total cost, respectively. The patients’ out-of-pocket payment was 7.7% of the total direct costs. Surgery, drug and diagnosis costs accounted for the largest fraction of the total treatment cost. The total cost of care and treatment of burns patients in the hospital is very high, imposed on patients, their relatives, government and health insurance companies. The government and insurance companies should provide financial protection to facilitate the process of care and treatment of burns patients.