The Cost of Hospitalized Ocular Injuries in Texas, 2013–2014

ABSTRACT

Purpose:

Healthcare costs are a continual concern. To improve our cost-efficiency we must identify the direct costs of ocular injuries requiring hospitalization. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the direct costs of hospitalized ocular injuries in Texas.

Methods:

Retrospective cohort study using the Texas Hospital Inpatient Discharge Public Use Data File, 2013–2014. Persons hospitalized for ocular trauma were identified using ICD-9-CM codes. Injuries were subcategorized as ocular adnexal, open globe, or closed globe based on diagnosis and procedure codes and analyzed across three age groups: 18–44, 45–64, and >65 years.

Results:

From 2013 to 2014, 1498 patients were hospitalized with ocular adnexal injuries, 644 with open globe injuries, and 2877 with closed globe injuries. Length of stay ranged from 2 to 4 days. The median total charges ranged between $34,576 and $55,409 across all injuries and groups. The largest portion of medical costs were due to radiology in the ocular adnexal and closed globe groups, and operating room charges in the open globe group.

Conclusions:

Median hospitalization costs for ocular injuries were between $34,576 and $55,409 for a 2–4 day length of stay. Open globe injuries had the shortest median lengths of stay, 2–3 days, and lower median total costs. Only in the open globe group were operative costs higher than radiology costs. Operative charges were lowest in the oldest age group, who also had longer lengths of stay. Our reported costs were lower than other nationally reported ocular injury costs for similar lengths of hospital stay.

KEYWORDS:

• Ocular Trauma
• Healthcare cost
• Hospital charges
• Health services research

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Eduardo Vazquez, M.S., and Marco A. Rodriguez, M.S. M.Ed., for their database programming assistance. The authors would also like to thank Katherine Aguirre, Ph.D. for her editorial assistance in this manuscript.