Public Health Emergency Center, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), Beijing, China.
PLoS One. 2013 May 22;8(5):e63788. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063788. Print 2013.
Influenza-related hospitalizations impose a considerable economic and social burden. This study aimed to better understand the economic burden of influenza-related hospitalizations among patients in China in different age and risk categories.
Laboratory-confirmed influenza-related hospitalizations between December 2009 and June 2011 from three hospitals participating in the Chinese Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) sentinel surveillance system were included in this study. Hospital billing data were collected from each hospital's Hospital Information System (HIS) and divided into five cost categories. Demographic and clinical information was collected from medical records. Mean (range) and median (interquartile range [IQR]) costs were calculated and compared among children (≤15 years), adults (16-64 years) and elderly (≥65 years) groups. Factors influencing cost were analyzed.
A total of 106 laboratory-confirmed influenza-related hospitalizations were identified, 60% of which were children. The mean (range) direct medical cost was $1,797 ($80-$27,545) for all hospitalizations, and the median (IQR) direct medical cost was $231 ($164), $854 ($890), and $2,263 ($7,803) for children, adults, and elderly, respectively. Therapeutics and diagnostics were the two largest components of direct medical cost, comprising 57% and 23%, respectively. Cost of physician services was the lowest at less than 1%.
Direct medical cost of influenza-related hospitalizations imposes a heavy burden on patients and their families in China. Further study is needed to provide more comprehensive evidence on the economic burden of influenza. Our study highlights the need to increase vaccination rate and develop targeted national preventive strategies.
流感相关住院治疗给中国带来了相当大的经济和社会负担。本研究旨在更深入地了解中国不同年龄和风险类别的流感相关住院患者的经济负担。
本研究纳入了 2009 年 12 月至 2011 年 6 月期间来自参与中国严重急性呼吸道感染（SARI）监测系统的三家医院的实验室确诊的流感相关住院患者。从每家医院的医院信息系统（HIS）中收集住院费用数据，并将其分为五类。从病历中收集人口统计学和临床信息。计算并比较了≤15 岁的儿童、16-64 岁的成年人和≥65 岁的老年人组之间的平均（范围）和中位数（四分位距[IQR]）费用。分析了影响费用的因素。
共确定了 106 例实验室确诊的流感相关住院病例，其中 60%为儿童。所有住院患者的直接医疗费用平均（范围）为 1797 美元（80-27545 美元），中位数（IQR）直接医疗费用分别为儿童 231 美元（164 美元）、854 美元（890 美元）和 2263 美元（7803 美元）、成年人和老年人。治疗和诊断是直接医疗费用的两个最大组成部分，分别占 57%和 23%。医师服务费的成本最低，不到 1%。
流感相关住院治疗的直接医疗费用给中国患者及其家庭带来了沉重的负担。需要进一步研究提供更全面的流感经济负担证据。我们的研究强调需要提高疫苗接种率并制定有针对性的国家预防策略。
