HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS AND COMORBIDITY PROFILES OF HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS IN CHILE
Author(s)
Daniela Paredes, BSc, MPH1, Alejandro Sanchez Velasquez, MD, Master in Heart Failure2, André Luiz A. de Souza, BSc, MBA3, JUAN VALENCIA, MSc, MD4, Jennifer Maloney, MBA5;
1Senior Manager Health Economics & Reimbursement South Latam. Health Economics & Reimbursement. Medtronic Chile., Prof, Santiago, Chile, 2Principal Medical Affairs Latam. Medtronic Colombia, Bucaramanga, Colombia, 3Medtronic Brazil, São Paulo, Brazil, 4Medtronic, Miami, FL, USA, 5Senior Clinical Research Manager. Clinical Research and Medical Science Latin America. Medtronic, US, Minneapolis, MN, USA
1Senior Manager Health Economics & Reimbursement South Latam. Health Economics & Reimbursement. Medtronic Chile., Prof, Santiago, Chile, 2Principal Medical Affairs Latam. Medtronic Colombia, Bucaramanga, Colombia, 3Medtronic Brazil, São Paulo, Brazil, 4Medtronic, Miami, FL, USA, 5Senior Clinical Research Manager. Clinical Research and Medical Science Latin America. Medtronic, US, Minneapolis, MN, USA
OBJECTIVES: Arterial hypertension affects over one third of the Chilean population and is mainly managed in primary care. However, its burden extends into tertiary care, particularly among patients with difficult-to-control or refractory disease. This study characterizes this impact within the public health service providers in Chile.
METHODS: A descriptive analysis of hospitalizations among patients with hypertension identified as a main or secondary diagnosis examining sociodemographic characteristics in adults (+18 years old), clinical diagnoses (ICD-10), procedures (ICD-9 MC), and patterns of resource utilization. Data from open-access diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) from the Chilean public health insurance system (FONASA) were used, over a six-year timeframe (2019-2024).
RESULTS: From a total population of 3,359,824 patients, hypertension was reported in 1,110,203 (33.0%) with a mean age of 69-year-old. Among them, 10,013 patients (0.9%) received hypertension as the primary diagnosis. The ICD-10 groups were reported as follows: I60-I69 Cerebrovascular diseases in 84,410 discharges (7.6%), followed by I30-I52 Other forms of heart disease (7.2%), and I20-I25 Ischemic heart diseases (7.0%), E08-E14 Diabetes mellitus (3.4%), and N17-N19 Acute kidney failure and chronic kidney disease (2.7%). Sorted by specific diagnosis: I63 Cerebral infarction (4.6%), I21 Acute myocardial infarction (4.4%), I50 Heart failure (3.3%), E11 Type 2 diabetes (3.2%), I25 Chronic ischemic heart disease (1.7%), N18 Chronic kidney disease (1.6%), and I20 Angina pectoris (1.5%), accounted for 20.3% in 225,085 records. Readmission rate over six years was 1.47 events per patient with a mean length of stay of nine days. Women represented 53.6% of the admissions and the reported mortality rate was 8.9%. The average number of comorbidities per readmitted patient was eight.
CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the significant tertiary‑care burden that arterial hypertension imposes on Chile’s public healthcare system. Hospitalized patients with hypertension constitute a clinically complex cardiovascular population, characterized by a high comorbidity burden, frequent readmissions, and extended lengths of stay.
METHODS: A descriptive analysis of hospitalizations among patients with hypertension identified as a main or secondary diagnosis examining sociodemographic characteristics in adults (+18 years old), clinical diagnoses (ICD-10), procedures (ICD-9 MC), and patterns of resource utilization. Data from open-access diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) from the Chilean public health insurance system (FONASA) were used, over a six-year timeframe (2019-2024).
RESULTS: From a total population of 3,359,824 patients, hypertension was reported in 1,110,203 (33.0%) with a mean age of 69-year-old. Among them, 10,013 patients (0.9%) received hypertension as the primary diagnosis. The ICD-10 groups were reported as follows: I60-I69 Cerebrovascular diseases in 84,410 discharges (7.6%), followed by I30-I52 Other forms of heart disease (7.2%), and I20-I25 Ischemic heart diseases (7.0%), E08-E14 Diabetes mellitus (3.4%), and N17-N19 Acute kidney failure and chronic kidney disease (2.7%). Sorted by specific diagnosis: I63 Cerebral infarction (4.6%), I21 Acute myocardial infarction (4.4%), I50 Heart failure (3.3%), E11 Type 2 diabetes (3.2%), I25 Chronic ischemic heart disease (1.7%), N18 Chronic kidney disease (1.6%), and I20 Angina pectoris (1.5%), accounted for 20.3% in 225,085 records. Readmission rate over six years was 1.47 events per patient with a mean length of stay of nine days. Women represented 53.6% of the admissions and the reported mortality rate was 8.9%. The average number of comorbidities per readmitted patient was eight.
CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the significant tertiary‑care burden that arterial hypertension imposes on Chile’s public healthcare system. Hospitalized patients with hypertension constitute a clinically complex cardiovascular population, characterized by a high comorbidity burden, frequent readmissions, and extended lengths of stay.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
HSD78
Topic
Health Service Delivery & Process of Care
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas, SDC: Cardiovascular Disorders (including MI, Stroke, Circulatory)