Article

New treatments are being investigated for spinal cord injury (SCI), and any
improvement may result in incremental cost savings. The objective of this study
was to determine the direct costs of care 2 years after an SCI, stratifying for
completeness and level of injury. A retrospective database analysis was carried
out using data from the Quebec Trauma Registry, the Quebec Medical Insurance
Board, and the Quebec Automobile Insurance Corporation between 1997 and 2007.
Excluding individuals sustaining moderate or severe traumatic brain injuries, 481
individuals who sustained an SCI from motor vehicle accidents were identified.
Individuals were classified as complete and incomplete in the following
categories: C1-C7, C8-T6, T7-L1, L2-S5. Using data from governmental public
healthcare organizations makes this study comprehensive. For C1-C7 complete and
incomplete spinal cord injuries, the first-year cost was $157 718 and $56 505,
respectively (2009 Canadian dollars calculated per patient). Similar differences
between complete and incomplete spinal cord injuries were seen for the other
groups. Furthermore, for complete injuries, costs were higher for higher levels
of injury during both the first and the second year after injury. For incomplete
lesions, costs did not differ significantly between groups during the first or
the second year. Incomplete spinal cord injuries result in lower healthcare costs
compared with complete injuries across all groups during the first 2 years after
injury. As less severe levels of injury result in measurably lower costs, the
funds spent to reduce the severity or level of SCI could at least partially be
recouped through healthcare savings.

Langue : ANGLAIS