Patient and hospital characteristics are associated with cost of hospitalizations in children with epilepsy

Abstract

We assessed patient and hospital characteristics and cost of hospitalizations in children with epilepsy, using the United States (U.S.) Kids' Inpatient Database (KID2009). There were 114,256 pediatric admissions for epilepsy in 2009. Admission rate was highest in those with the lowest household income. Private, urban teaching, and nonchildren's hospitals and hospitals in the Southern U.S. admitted the most patients. The average length of hospitalization was 5.4days, and adjusted cost was $6656/day of admission. The cost of hospitalizations was higher in those with the highest household income versus in those with lower income, private versus Medicare/Medicaid insurance, admissions to private versus public hospitals, urban teaching versus nonteaching or rural hospitals, and children's versus nonchildren's hospitals. Epilepsy comorbidities did not increase the cost of hospitalization. We found that the number and cost of hospitalizations in children with epilepsy vary by patient and hospital characteristics. Such findings are essential for informing future health plans and policy decisions on resource allocation.