First-year Follow-Up Costs of Myocardial Infarction Management in Poland from the Payer's Perspective.

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) remains a major burden for healthcare systems. Therefore, we intended to analyze the determinants of cost management of patients hospitalized for MI in Poland. Methods: Data on patients hospitalized and discharged with the diagnosis of acute MI were derived from the public payer claims database. Adult patients, reported between October 1, 2017 and December 31, 2019, were included. Costs of hospitalization for acute MI and cumulative one-year follow-up were analyzed. Results: The median (IQR) of the total direct cost was euro3804.7 (2674.1-5712.7) per patient and 29% (euro1113.6 [380.5-2490.4]) of these were costs related to the use of post-hospitalization healthcare resources. The median cost of cardiovascular disease management was euro3624.7 (2582.1-5258.5), and 26% of this sum were follow-up costs. The analysis of the total cost for individual years showed a slight increase in median costs in subsequent years: euro3450.7 (2407.8-5205.2) in 2017, euro3753.8 (2642.6-5681.9) in 2018, and euro3944.9 (2794.8-5844.4) in 2019. Male sex, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, diabetes, kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and history of stroke in addition to hospitalization in a department other than cardiology or internal disease were independently related to the cost of MI patient management. Conclusions: The high cost of management of MI patients was independently related to sex, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, diabetes, kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and history of stroke as well as hospitalization in other than cardiology or internal disease department.