HEALTHCARE COSTS FOLLOWING SEVERE RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS INFECTION IN INFANCY - RESULTS FROM A MATCHED COHORT STUDY IN GERMANY
Author(s)
Anahita Poshtiban, PhD1, Anna C. Meyer, PhD1, Moritz Wick, MSc1, Oliver Damm, DrPH1, Lena Hasemann, MA2, Daniel Gensorowsky, PhD2, Bastian Surmann, MSc2, Johannes Liese, Prof.3, Markus Knuf, Prof.4.
1Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Berlin, Germany, 2Vandage GmbH, Bielefeld, Germany, 3Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany, 4Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Worms Hospital, Worms, Germany.
1Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Berlin, Germany, 2Vandage GmbH, Bielefeld, Germany, 3Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany, 4Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Worms Hospital, Worms, Germany.
OBJECTIVES: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants, with potential long-term health consequences. This study quantified the healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs following severe RSV infection in infancy in Germany, with focus on long-term consequences beyond the acute infection episode.
METHODS: This retrospective matched cohort study used statutory health insurance claims data (2012-2024) from BARMER (~9 million insured). Infants hospitalized for RSV during their first RSV season were matched 1:10 to controls without RSV hospitalization based on sex, month of birth, birth status (term, preterm), palivizumab immunization, risk condition, and calendar quarter of cohort entry. HCRU (physician contacts, hospitalizations and drug prescriptions) and inflation-adjusted healthcare costs were analyzed for 1-year and 5-year follow-up periods after the first RSV season. Mean HCRU and costs were estimated using non-parametric methods to account for varying follow-up lengths due to censoring.
RESULTS: The study included 9,488 RSV cases matched to 92,805 controls. In the 1-year follow-up, RSV cases had more physician contacts (mean: 13.4 vs. 11.0), hospitalizations (0.4 vs. 0.2), and drug prescriptions (13.7 vs. 9.9) compared to controls. Mean total healthcare costs were €1,811 in the RSV group and €1,183 in controls, corresponding to a mean difference of €628 (95% CI: €627-€630). This difference was primarily driven by inpatient costs (mean difference: €417), followed by drug (€135) and outpatient costs (€76). Over the 5-year follow-up, HCRU remained higher across all categories, and excess costs amounted to €1,378 per RSV case (€4,761 vs. €3,383; 95% CI: €1,373-€1,383).
CONCLUSIONS: Severe RSV infection in infancy imposes a substantial and lasting economic burden on the German health care system, particularly in the first year after infection. Increased HCRU and costs remained evident over 5 years, highlighting the potential value of RSV prevention strategies in infants.
METHODS: This retrospective matched cohort study used statutory health insurance claims data (2012-2024) from BARMER (~9 million insured). Infants hospitalized for RSV during their first RSV season were matched 1:10 to controls without RSV hospitalization based on sex, month of birth, birth status (term, preterm), palivizumab immunization, risk condition, and calendar quarter of cohort entry. HCRU (physician contacts, hospitalizations and drug prescriptions) and inflation-adjusted healthcare costs were analyzed for 1-year and 5-year follow-up periods after the first RSV season. Mean HCRU and costs were estimated using non-parametric methods to account for varying follow-up lengths due to censoring.
RESULTS: The study included 9,488 RSV cases matched to 92,805 controls. In the 1-year follow-up, RSV cases had more physician contacts (mean: 13.4 vs. 11.0), hospitalizations (0.4 vs. 0.2), and drug prescriptions (13.7 vs. 9.9) compared to controls. Mean total healthcare costs were €1,811 in the RSV group and €1,183 in controls, corresponding to a mean difference of €628 (95% CI: €627-€630). This difference was primarily driven by inpatient costs (mean difference: €417), followed by drug (€135) and outpatient costs (€76). Over the 5-year follow-up, HCRU remained higher across all categories, and excess costs amounted to €1,378 per RSV case (€4,761 vs. €3,383; 95% CI: €1,373-€1,383).
CONCLUSIONS: Severe RSV infection in infancy imposes a substantial and lasting economic burden on the German health care system, particularly in the first year after infection. Increased HCRU and costs remained evident over 5 years, highlighting the potential value of RSV prevention strategies in infants.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-11, ISPOR Europe 2026, Vienna, Austria
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue 12S
Code
EE726
Topic
Economic Evaluation, Epidemiology & Public Health
Topic Subcategory
Cost/Cost of Illness/Resource Use Studies
Disease
Respiratory-Related Disorders (Allergy, Asthma, Smoking, Other Respiratory)