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ICU out-of-pocket expenses and financial burden

ICU-related Out of Pocket Expenses (ICOPE) - A Multinational Prospective Study In African And Asian Countries.

Nat Intensive Care Surveillance - MORU · NCT07439692

This study will see how much patients and families in selected African and Asian hospitals pay out of pocket when someone is admitted to the ICU and how often those costs cause catastrophic financial hardship.

Quick facts

Study typeObservational
Enrollment354 (estimated)
SexAll
SponsorNat Intensive Care Surveillance - MORU (other)
Locations44 sites (Kabul, Kabul and 43 other locations)
Trial IDNCT07439692 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

ICOPE is a multinational prospective observational study enrolling all patients admitted to participating ICUs during a predefined 14-day recruitment window who are expected to stay longer than 24 hours. A minimum sample of 354 patients, including both ventilated and non-ventilated patients, will be followed until ICU discharge with additional follow-up at 30 days and 6 months to capture costs. The primary outcomes are total ICU-related out-of-pocket expenditure and the proportion of patients experiencing catastrophic health expenditure, with direct comparisons between ventilated and non-ventilated groups. Secondary analyses will identify risk factors for high out-of-pocket spending and catastrophic expenditure across participating LMIC sites.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are patients admitted to a participating ICU during the 14-day recruitment window who are expected to remain in ICU for more than 24 hours and who (or whose legally authorized representative) can give informed consent.

Not a fit: Patients admitted outside participating ICUs, those with ICU stays under 24 hours, or those without available informed consent are not eligible and will not benefit directly from the study data collection.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the results could help policymakers and funders design financial protections and target subsidies so fewer households face catastrophic costs after ICU care.

How similar studies have performed: Prior cross-sectional and retrospective work in LMICs has documented high out-of-pocket and catastrophic spending for hospital and critical care, but large prospective multicountry ICU-specific cohorts like this are relatively novel.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria 
Inclusion Criteria:

All patients admitted to the participating ICUs during a predefined window of 14 days and expected to have a duration of stay \>24 hours will be eligible for the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

lack informed consent.

Where this trial is running

Kabul, Kabul and 43 other locations

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Conditions: Cost of ICU, Out of Pocket Expenses, OOPE, ICU-cost, LMIC, Critical Care

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.