AUTHOR=Ke Xinchen , Lin Wenrui , Li Daishi , Zhao Shuang , Chen Mingliang , Xiao Yi , Chen Xiang , Shen Minxue , Su Juan 

TITLE=Spending and Hospital Stay for Melanoma in Hunan, China

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.917119

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.917119

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Objective: To describe the economic burden of Chinese patients with melanoma in Hunan province of China, and to investigate the factors for hospitalization spending and length of stay (LOS) in patients undergoing melanoma surgery.
Methods: Data was extracted from the Chinese National Health Statistics Network Reporting System database in Hunan province during 2017–2019. Population and individual statistics were presented, and nonparametric tests and quantile regression were used to analyze the factors for spending and LOS.
Result: A total of 2644 hospitalized patients with melanoma in Hunan were identified. During 2017–2019, the total hospitalization spending was $5,247,972, and out-of-pocket payment (OOP) was $1,817,869, accounting for 34.6% of the total expenditure. The median spending was $1,123 (interquartile range [IQR]: $555–$2411) per capita, and the median LOS was 10 days (IQR: 5–18). A total of 1,104 patients who underwent surgery was further analyzed. The non-parametric tests and quantile regression showed that females were associated with less spending and LOS than males. In general, patients aged 46–65 and those with lesions on the extremities had higher hospitalization costs and LOS than other subgroups.
Conclusion: Melanoma causes heavy economic burdens on patients in Hunan, such that the median spending is close to 60% of the averagely annual disposable income. Middle-aged male patients with melanoma on extremities present the highest financial burden of melanoma.