Case costing data
pulmonary embolism, dyspnea, syncope, stroke, pulmonary edema, flutter, congestive heart failure, presyncope, presyncope/syncope, embolism, ischemic attack/stroke
PULMONARY EMBOLISM, TRANSIENT ISCHEMIC ATTACK, DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS, STROKE, PULMONARY EDEMA, WEST, FLUTTER, CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME, ATRIAL FIBRILLATION, EMBOLISM
The case costing data recorded public payer costs for AF-related hospitalizations and ER visits. Case costing data were provided by the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA). As part of the case costing procedure, the NSHA documented all participant-incurred costs for emergency room (ER) visits and hospitalizations located in the Central Zone of the province of Nova Scotia, which includes the capital city of Halifax as well as rural communities located in the Eastern Shore and West Hants counties [At 12-months, the IMPACT-AF study team reviewed each participant’s medical chart to determine whether there was an AF-related ER visit or unplanned cardiovascular hospitalization during the study period. A visit to the ER was classified as AF-related due to one of the following causes: acute coronary syndrome, presyncope/syncope, transient ischemic attack/stroke, atrial fibrillation, flutter, worsening congestive heart failure including pulmonary edema or dyspnea of cardiac origin. An unplanned cardiovascular hospitalization (admission with an overnight stay in hospital) was predefined as due to one of the following causes: acute coronary syndrome, presyncope / syncope, transient ischemic attack / stroke, atrial fibrillation, flutter, pulmonary embolism / deep vein thrombosis /systemic embolism, worsening congestive heart failure including pulmonary edema or dyspnea of cardiac origin. The IMPACT-AF study team shared this list of AF-related ER visits and unplanned cardiovascular hospitalizations with NSHA staff, who provided detailed costing data for each encounter.The costs provided by the NSHA are categorized as direct medical and non-medical costs. Direct medical costs are defined as the expenditures associated with health care provided to patients including medication, laboratory and imaging tests, and health care professionals. Direct non-medical costs are the expenses required to support the delivery of care services including housekeeping, power, security, and administration (also known as overhead costs) [