Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28982808›Full record

Observational studyBMJ open2017

Cost-effectiveness of stroke care in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal patients: an observational cohort study in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Yuejen Zhao, Steven Guthridge, Henrik Falhammar, Howard Flavell, Dominique A Cadilhac

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMJ open, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Observational
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Yuejen ZhaoHealth Gains Planning, Northern Territory Department of Health, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
Steven GuthridgeHealth Gains Planning, Northern Territory Department of Health, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
Henrik FalhammarMenzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
Howard FlavellMenzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
Dominique A CadilhacStroke and Ageing Research, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
Royal Darwin Hospital · AUMenzies School of Health Research · AUMonash University · AUNorthern Territory Health Services · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo assess cost-effectiveness of stroke care for Aboriginal compared with non-Aboriginal patients in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia.

designCost-effectiveness analysis using data from a cohort-based follow-up study of stroke incidents.

settingPublic hospitals in the NT from 1992 to 2013.

participantsIndividual patient data were extracted and linked from the hospital inpatient and primary care information systems. OUTCOME MEASURES: Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated and assessed graphically. Survival time was used to measure effectiveness of stroke care, in comparison with the net costs per life-year gained, from a healthcare perspective, by applying multivariable models to account for time-dependent confounding.

results2158 patients with incident stroke were included (1171 males, 1178 aged <65 years and 966 from remote areas). 992 patients were of Aboriginal origin (46.0%, disproportionately higher than the population proportion of 27%). Of all cases, 42.6% were ischaemic and 29.8% haemorrhagic stroke. Average age of stroke onset was 51 years in Aboriginal, compared with 65 years in non-Aboriginal patients (p<0.001). Aboriginal patients had 71.4% more hospital bed-days, and 7.4% fewer procedures than non-Aboriginal patients. Observed health costs averaged $A50 400 per Aboriginal compared with $A33 700 per non-Aboriginal patient (p<0.001). The differential costs and effects for each population were distributed evenly across the incremental cost-effectiveness plane threshold line, indicating no difference in cost-effectiveness between populations. After further adjustment for confounding and censoring, cost-effectiveness appeared greater for Aboriginal than non-Aboriginal patients, but this was not statistically significant (p=0.25).

conclusionsStroke care for the NT Aboriginal population is at least as cost-effective as the non-Aboriginal population. Stroke care presents worthwhile and equitable survival benefits for Aboriginal patients in remote communities, notwithstanding their higher level burden of disease. These findings are relevant for healthcare planning and policy development regarding equal access to stroke care for Aboriginal patients.

Indexed as

AdultAgedCost-Benefit AnalysisFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHealth Care CostsHumansLinear ModelsMaleMiddle AgedMultivariate AnalysisNorthern TerritoryStrokeStroke Rehabilitationefficiencyhealth equitysocial medicinestroke

Identifiers

PMID28982808
PMCPMC5640075
OpenAlexW2764012795

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.