Sammanfattning
The aim of this study was to analyze data collected from the national database for costs per patient including most Swedish hospitals. Data from
2011, divided into groups according to sex and age, were analyzed and revealed that costs for women with acute myocardial infarction were lower
compared to costs for men. Men had more care events whilst women in almost every age group had longer hospital stay. The lower costs for women may
partly be explained by care at different levels - men being admitted to intensive care units while women may be admitted to less costly medical wards -
but other factors may also play a role. The analysis also showed lower costs for care of women with appendicitis. Sex-based differences regarding
surgical methods might explain the difference as women more often had laparoscopy and men more open surgery. However, for this diagnosis too
women had longer hospital stay compared to men. In conclusion, analyzing only the costs per patient might not be enough and more extensive studies
are therefore required to clarify if the found sex differences are medically motivated. However, the database could also be used as a source for quality
improvement projects.