Variação dos custos assistenciais de pacientes com Transtorno do Espectro Autista em uma cooperativa médica (2021-2023)

Abstract

There is a growing demand for treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Understanding the evolution of healthcare costs associated with this treatment is essential to inform the management of providers and policies for care for individuals with ASD. This study analyzed the structure and evolution of healthcare costs related to ASD treatment in a medical cooperative from 2021 to 2023. The research is characterized as an applied case study with a quantitative, documentary, and retrospective approach. Data were obtained from the cooperative's spreadsheets, enabling cost measurement by type of therapeutic procedure. Descriptive, horizontal, and vertical analyses were applied, in addition to the calculation of the variation in medical-hospital costs (VCMH) and the nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test. The results showed an increase in healthcare costs from R$1.2 million in 2021 to R$16.2 million in 2023, with a notable increase in psychology, which increased from R$1.2 million to R$11.8 million. The horizontal analysis demonstrated a continued upward trend in spending, while the vertical analysis indicated a concentration of costs in speech-language pathology and occupational therapy. The VCMH calculation indicated a significant variation in both years, associated with an increase in both the frequency of use and the average prices charged. The Kruskal-Wallis test resulted in H = 10.82 (p-value = 0.055), with a 5% significance level, identifying no statistically significant differences in healthcare costs related to ASD, by type of procedure. Because this is a case study, the results are limited in scope to the context of the cooperative analyzed, which limits their generalizability. Future studies with larger samples can strengthen the evidence and support management decisions in supplementary healthcare.