Objective: To characterize the socio-economic status (SES) and clinical and hospitalization characteristics of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) in the United States population in 2017.

Method:

A retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of 2017 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) National Inpatient Sample was conducted. Descriptive statistics were computed along with univariate mean comparisons as appropriate for demographic, clinical and hospital variables. A one-way ANOVA was conducted to assess the association of length of stay, hospital charge with type of insurance coverage and SES.

Results:

6019 discharges of patients with CF as primary and/or secondary diagnosis were identified from a total of 7,159,694 discharges in the US. The average age was 25.51+15.09 years. Average length of stay was 9.26+9.84 days and hospital charge were $103,596.73+188,740.04. Majority of the CF population was female (54.1%), white (77.4%) and covered by private insurance (41.7%). Most of the population had more than three comorbidities (99.2%) and more than two procedures were performed in about 32% of sample. 331 different hospitals were identified from 6019 discharges of patients with CF. Hospitals were of large size (48.7%), located in Southern region (40.4%), of private, non-profit control/ownership (76%) and with urban teaching status (68.3%). The mean total charge was higher in males ($108,661.74+199,692.42), Hispanics ($144,385.57+281,975.59), patients who had Medicaid coverage ($107,538.78+179,087.93) and with median household income of more than $74,000 ($114,279.70+199,384.95). The LOS was greater in males (9.48 days), Hispanics (10.28 days), patients who had Medicaid coverage (10.55 days) and with median household income of $56,000-$73,999 (9.65 days). The LOS and total charge are associated with SES(p<0.05) and type of insurance coverage (p<0.05) of patients with CF.

Conclusion:

The inpatient length of stay and hospital charges for CF vary depending on the patient and clinical characteristics as well as SES, requiring further study for policy applications.