Influence of deprivation on hospital care pathways and costs for people with ischaemic stroke: A trajectory modelling study.

BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic characteristics have a strong impact on the incidence of stroke. The highest levels of morbidity and mortality are associated with the lowest socioeconomic positions. Moreover, the health insurance budget for stroke is significant.

OBJECTIVES: To describe typical Hospital Care Pathways (HCPs) and their costs 1 year after acute stroke and to assess the impact of individuals' socioeconomic characteristics on HCPs and costs.

METHODS: This retrospective observational study used hospital data on people with primary ischaemic stroke in a region of France (Haute-Garonne). HCPs were identified by sequential analysis. Multinomial logistic regression was used to analyse the impact of socioeconomic characteristics on HCPs as measured using an ecological index of deprivation, and a gamma regression model was used to analyse costs.

RESULTS: The analysis identified 4 typical HCPs. The first HCP consisted exclusively of consultations, the second was composed of consultations and hospitalisations, the third included hospitalisations during the first 2 months after stroke followed by consultations, and the fourth included long-term hospitalisations. After adjustment, deprivation was associated with HCPs and determined its costs: a high level of social disadvantage determined the type of pathway and increased the costs.

CONCLUSIONS: This study is one of the first to assess the impact of social inequalities in health on post-stroke HCPs in France and their corresponding costs. Our results confirm the hypothesis that healthcare costs differ according to the level of deprivation.