Medical consumption and socioeconomic effects of infection with respiratory syncytial virus in The Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE

To calculate both medical consumption and socioeconomic effects related to hospitalization for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in the Netherlands.

METHODS

During the winter seasons of 1998 to 2000, parents of all patients hospitalized for RSV in three secondary care hospitals were asked to fill out questionnaires focusing on the 2 weeks before hospitalization, the period in hospital and the 2 weeks after discharge. The questions concerned workdays lost, level of education and current profession, extra childcare needed, consultation by the family physician and drugs prescribed and costs of travelling.

RESULTS

Seventy-three children were hospitalized. Median age was 79 days (range, 9 to 537 days), and median weight was 5,295 g (range, 3130 to 10,600 g). Three children were born preterm. Parents had 2 (range, 0 to 6) telephone contacts with the family doctor; the child was seen 2 (range, 0 to 4) times before hospitalization. Parents lost 0.5 workday before hospitalization. Duration of hospitalization was 5 days median (range, 1 to 12 days). Parents lost 1.5 (range, 0 to 9) workdays during hospitalization and drove 118 (range, 6 to 550) miles to visit their child. In the period after discharge expenses were negligible. Calculation of all parameters into currency resulted in a total amount of $2,200 per child hospitalized for RSV. Workdays lost, costs for travelling and consultation of family doctors resulted in $295 per child.

CONCLUSIONS

RSV infections necessitating hospitalization in a secondary care hospital have remarkable effects on parental expenses, parental absence from work and medical consumption. On top of the hospital-related costs 15% should be added for parental expenses and socioeconomic costs.