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TBI Can Be Costly, Even Years Later
The personal costs of traumatic brain injury can be devastating. Disability, mental and emotional changes that can be potentially long-lasting, and relationship strain are just a few ways the injury can affect a person. However, it is often forgotten that the actual monetary cost of TBI can be just a severe for many.
A new report from SanBio, Inc., shows that TBI patients who experience motor impairment face significantly higher healthcare costs compared to the average person. These costs can add stress and pressure to an already difficult situation and may last for years for some patients.
In the report presented at the World Congress of Brain Injury in New Orleans, researchers explained that TBI patients face high costs even a year after their injury. Medical costs are highest in the period immediately following the injury, but patients with evidence of motor impairment incurred excess costs of nearly $27,000 per patient in the second year post injury.
These costs also appeared to stabilize at a rate of approximately four times higher than those of control groups.
These patients who showed motor impairment were more likely to need elevated use of all medical resources analyzed in the report, including inpatient and outpatient services, emergency department visits, and physical therapy and rehabilitation services. The costs also included prescription drug use.
“Patients with traumatic brain injuries incurred significantly greater costs than the control group across the board for medical services,” said Dr. Damien Bates, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research at SanBio, and a study coauthor. “This study highlights the significant unmet need for effective care in this population, as well as the strain that this condition places on our entire healthcare system. There is a clear need for treatment that would help relieve the economic burden on patients suffering from the lingering effects of a traumatic brain injury.”
