Cost Analysis of the Treatment of Severe Burn Injuries in a Tertiary Burn Center in Northern Iran

Background: One of the most expensive aspects of healthcare is providing treatment for burn victims. However, just a few burn cost analysis studies have been conducted in Iran. Objectives: This study, thus, aimed to estimate the cost of treating severe burn patients in a burn center. Methods: This retrospective study was performed on medical records of 143 severe burn patients referred to a specialized burn center between March 2020 and March 2021. The data were collected regarding the treatment costs and were analyzed using the SPSS software (version 16.0). Results: The mean +/- SD total per-patient cost was US$ 5445.53 +/- 4742.45. Electrical burn patients had a higher average total cost of care and length of stay, compared to other burn patients. Bed charges ( 21.97%), the surgeon's salary (27.17%), as well as equipment and consumables (17.83%), were the main cost drivers. Conclusion: The results of this study can help hospital authorities and governments understand the direct costs of a burn center and the total budget a country might need to cover the annual costs of treating burn victims. In addition, the cost of burn care in this study differed from that in other studies. The disparity in reported numbers can be attributed to variations in methodologies being used, costing viewpoints, study site, treatment procedures, hospitalization regulations, medications, surgeries, health service providers' salaries, nonclinical support, and indirect costs.