Severe Acute Respiratory Infection in a Pediatric Colombian Population: A Macro-Costing Approach
Author(s)
MARIA CARRASQUILLA SOTOMAYOR, BEc, MSc1, Fernando Enrique Salcedo Mejía, BEc, MSc2, Fernando Gómez De la Rosa, BA, MSc3, Marly Jerez Arias, MSc.4, Justo Jesus Paz Wilches, MSc.4, Jair Martínez-Villareal, MSc.4, Nelson Rafael Alvis Zakzuk, Jr., MBA2, Nelson José Alvis Zakzuk, MSc5.
1Univerisdade de São Paulo, Cartagena, Colombia, 2ALZAK, Cartagena, Colombia, 3Institución Universitaria Mayor de Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia, 4Mutual SER EPS, Cartagena, Colombia, 5Universidad de la Costa, Barranquilla, Colombia.
1Univerisdade de São Paulo, Cartagena, Colombia, 2ALZAK, Cartagena, Colombia, 3Institución Universitaria Mayor de Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia, 4Mutual SER EPS, Cartagena, Colombia, 5Universidad de la Costa, Barranquilla, Colombia.
OBJECTIVES: To estimate the direct medical costs of hospital care for patients under 2 years old diagnosed with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) in a population from the Caribbean region of Colombia.
METHODS: This retrospective study used the Individual Records of Health Services from January 2018 to December 2021 for patients aged 0-2 years diagnosed with SARI (ICD-10 codes: J205, J208, J209, J210, J110, J111, J118, J121, J128, J129, J168, J180, J181, J188, J189, J218, J121, J22X) who were affiliated with a Health Benefit Plan Administrator in the Caribbean region of Colombia. A macro-costing analysis was conducted from the third payer perspective, estimating average and median costs along with dispersion measures. Additionally, patients were characterized based on demographic variables and type of hospital stay. Costs were reported in USD (exchange rate 1USD=3,743.09COP).
RESULTS: A total of 7,978 SARI events were identified in 6,340 patients, of whom 3,562 (56.2%) were male. By age, 45.4%, 31.6%, and 23.0% of the patients were under 1, 1, and 2 years old, respectively. The average hospital stay was 4.8 days (SD: 6.3), with 263 (3.3%) events requiring admission to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) with an average stay of 8.5 (SD: 6.0) days. The total accumulated cost was $1,228,364 for total cases. The average cost of a SARI hospital event was $502.3 (95% CI $502.3-$482.1) and the median cost was $329.6 (IQR $204.8-$463.9). For general hospitalization, the average cost was $424.9 (95% CI $424.9-$410.1) and the median cost was $319.9 (IQR $200.6; $433.3). In contrast, in the PICU, the average cost was seven times higher at $2,773 (95% CI $2,773-$2,438) and the median cost was $1,972 (IQR $1,135-$3,503).
CONCLUSIONS: SARI imposes a significant economic burden on the Colombian healthcare system. Timely immunization in early childhood is an important strategy to prevent such events.
METHODS: This retrospective study used the Individual Records of Health Services from January 2018 to December 2021 for patients aged 0-2 years diagnosed with SARI (ICD-10 codes: J205, J208, J209, J210, J110, J111, J118, J121, J128, J129, J168, J180, J181, J188, J189, J218, J121, J22X) who were affiliated with a Health Benefit Plan Administrator in the Caribbean region of Colombia. A macro-costing analysis was conducted from the third payer perspective, estimating average and median costs along with dispersion measures. Additionally, patients were characterized based on demographic variables and type of hospital stay. Costs were reported in USD (exchange rate 1USD=3,743.09COP).
RESULTS: A total of 7,978 SARI events were identified in 6,340 patients, of whom 3,562 (56.2%) were male. By age, 45.4%, 31.6%, and 23.0% of the patients were under 1, 1, and 2 years old, respectively. The average hospital stay was 4.8 days (SD: 6.3), with 263 (3.3%) events requiring admission to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) with an average stay of 8.5 (SD: 6.0) days. The total accumulated cost was $1,228,364 for total cases. The average cost of a SARI hospital event was $502.3 (95% CI $502.3-$482.1) and the median cost was $329.6 (IQR $204.8-$463.9). For general hospitalization, the average cost was $424.9 (95% CI $424.9-$410.1) and the median cost was $319.9 (IQR $200.6; $433.3). In contrast, in the PICU, the average cost was seven times higher at $2,773 (95% CI $2,773-$2,438) and the median cost was $1,972 (IQR $1,135-$3,503).
CONCLUSIONS: SARI imposes a significant economic burden on the Colombian healthcare system. Timely immunization in early childhood is an important strategy to prevent such events.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-05, ISPOR 2025, Montréal, Quebec, CA
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S1
Code
EE78
Topic
Economic Evaluation
Topic Subcategory
Cost/Cost of Illness/Resource Use Studies
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas, SDC: Respiratory-Related Disorders (Allergy, Asthma, Smoking, Other Respiratory)