Cost Analysis of the Treatment of Severe Burn Injuries in a Tertiary Burn Center in Northern Iran

Abstract

Introduction: One of the most expensive aspects of health care is providing care for burn victims. However, just a few burn cost analysis studies have been conducted in Iran. This study aimed to estimate the cost of treating severe burn patients in a burn center. Methods: This retrospective study was performed on the medical records of 143 severe burns patients who were referred to a specialized burn center between March 2020 and March 2021. The data were collected regarding the treatment costs and analyzed using SPSS software (version 16.0). Results: The mean±SD total per-patient cost was $US 5445.53±4742.45. Electrical burn patients had an average total cost of care and the length of stay higher than other burn patients. The bed charges (21.97%), surgeon’s salary (27.17%), and equipment and consumables (17.83%) were the main cost drivers. Conclusion: The results of this study can help hospital authorities and governments understand the direct costs of a burn center and the total budget that a country might need to cover the annual costs of treating burn victims. In addition, the cost of burn care in this study differed from that in other studies. The disparity in reported numbers can be attributed to variation in the used methodologies, costing viewpoints, study site, treatment procedures, hospitalization regulations, medications, surgeries, the health service providers' salary, nonclinical support, and indirect costs.