Cost and health‐related quality of life for children hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus in Central China
Lingshuang Ren, Lidan Cui, Qianli Wang, Liujiong Gao, Meng Xu, Meng Wang, Qianhui Wu, Jinxin Guo, Li Lin, Yuxia Liang, Nuolan Liu, Yibing Cheng, Juan Yang, Hongjie Yu- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
- Epidemiology
Abstract
Background
The economic burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection and its impact on health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) are not well‐understood in China. This study assessed total cost and HRQoL for children hospitalized with RSV in Central China.
Methods
Based on a prospective case series study in Henan Province in 2020–2021, inpatients aged 0–59 months with RSV‐related acute respiratory infections (ARIs) were included into analysis. Total cost included direct medical cost (sum of medical cost before and during hospitalization), direct non‐medical cost, and indirect cost. Direct medical cost during hospitalization data were extracted from the hospital information system. Other costs and HRQoL status were obtained from a telephone survey conducted in the caregivers of the enrolled patients.
Results
Among 261 RSV‐infected inpatients, caregivers of 170 non‐severe cases (65.1%, 170/261) were successfully interviewed. Direct medical cost per episode was 1055.3 US dollars (US$) (95% CI: 998.2–1112.5 US$). Direct non‐medical cost and indirect cost per episode were 83.6 US$ (95% CI: 77.5–89.7 US$) and 162.4 US$ (95% CI: 127.9–197.0 US$), respectively. Quality adjusted life years (QALY) loss for non‐severe RSV hospitalization was 8.9 × 10−3 (95% CI: 7.9 × 10−3–9.9 × 10−3). The majority of inpatients were <1 year of age comprising significantly higher cost and more QALY loss than older children.
Conclusions
RSV‐associated hospitalization poses high economic and health burden in Central China particularly for children <1 year old. Our findings are crucial for determining the priority of interventions and allocation of health resources.