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Analysis of Cost Drivers in Burn Care: Insights for Resource Optimization and Expense Management
Steffi Sharma, MD
Kaitlyn Malek, MS
Tony Zhao, MS
Anjay Khandelwal, MD, FACS, FICS, FABA
Summa Health
2025-01-10
Presenter: Steffi Sharma, MD
Affidavit:
I agree and support the work that Steffi Sharma is submitting.
Director Name: Ananth Murthy
Author Category: Fellow Plastic Surgery
Presentation Category: Clinical
Abstract Category: General Reconstruction
INTRODUCTION:
Burn injuries impose significant public health and economic burdens in the United States. This study evaluated cost drivers of burn care by examining their incremental financial impacts.
METHODS:
A retrospective review of burn patients (2022-2023) was conducted using cost and clinical data from hospital financial records. Patient demographics and clinical variables, including age, TBSA, length of stay (LOS), days on ventilator, number of procedures, complications, inhalation injury, and burn etiology, were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate quantile regression analyses were conducted at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles of costs to identify associations between cost outcomes and clinical variables.
RESULTS:
Median patient age was 39 years, and 66.2% were male. Median TBSA and LOS were 3.7% and 5 days, respectively. LOS and the number of procedures were consistent predictors of increased costs across all quantiles and cost measures. At higher quantiles, TBSA, prolonged ventilator use (at least 4 days on ventilator), and number of procedures had amplified effects. Flame burns were associated with increased costs, while scald and contact burns reduced costs at specific quantiles.
CONCLUSION:
LOS, TBSA, number of procedures, and ventilator use are key cost drivers, particularly in high-cost cases. Targeted interventions to reduce LOS and optimize procedural strategies may reduce costs. Considering cost drivers across quantiles is essential to inform resource allocation and improve cost prediction while maintaining high standards of care.
