Sociodemographic and health system factors associated with variations in hospitalization costs for rheumatic diseases in adults aged 45 years and older: A cross‐sectional study of provincial health accounts in Jiangsu Province, China

Abstract

AbstractAimTo report the cost of hospitalization and the associated risk factors for rheumatic diseases in middle‐aged and elderly patients in China.MethodsThe study participants included inpatients from hospitals of various levels in the Jiangsu Province Health Account database in 2016. Participants were selected by using a multistage sampling method. Patients <45 years of age were excluded, and patients hospitalized for rheumatic diseases were identified according to the 10th edition of the International Classification of Diseases. Generalized linear models were used to analyze the sociodemographic characteristics related to the hospitalization costs of patients with rheumatic diseases.ResultsThe study included 3696 patients. The average cost of hospitalization for patients with rheumatic diseases was USD 4038.63. Female sex, a long length of stay, age between 65 and 74 years, free medical care, not being covered by the Urban–Rural Residents Basic Medical Insurance, and a high hospital level were associated with high hospitalization costs.ConclusionThis study examined hospitalization costs and relevant influencing factors in middle‐aged and elderly patients with rheumatic disease in China. Our findings are useful for further research on costs of disease and the economic evaluation of strategies to prevent rheumatic disease.