Economic Burden of Trauma-Related Injuries in Iran in 2019

Abstract

Objective: Trauma-related injuries are the leading cause of death and disability in the active population, withdevastating economic, health, and social consequences for nations. TThis study aimed to assess the economicburden of injuries in Iran.Methods: In this study, the economic impact of trauma in Iran in 2019 was estimated using a prevalence-basedapproach. The prevalence was estimated based on available statistics in Iran and the GBD website. Directmedical expenditures were calculated using a top-down approach. The cost of lost production due to injuriesand premature death was also estimated using the DALY value. Microsoft Excel 2019 and Stata softwareversion 13.0 were used for the analysis.Results: In Iran, approximately 16,500,000 individuals were estimated to have sustained injuries in a singleyear. The average direct medical expenses for each trauma patient were around $226. Fractures contributedto 39% of the financial impact of trauma. The overall economic burden of trauma in Iran was calculatedto be $10,214,403,423. Approximately 66% of this economic burden was attributed to lost productivity andpremature death resulting from trauma, while direct medical costs made up 34%.Conclusion: The economic burden of trauma in Iran is expected to significantly rise in the future. It maybe necessary to enhance awareness of injury-related mortality and disability, improve therapies, and expandevidence-based interventions to reduce the economic impact of injuries.

Keywords

• economic burden of disease
• injuries
• hospital costs
• iran