J Med Econ. 2022 Jun 21:1-22. doi: 10.1080/13696998.2022.2090734. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Accurate and up-to-date figures of the cost of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) hospitalization are needed to understand the associated economic burden for public health decision makers. Recent estimates are lacking, and previously published estimates differ markedly. Our objective was to estimate the current mean cost to the NHS for adult CAP hospitalization.
METHODS: All CAP hospitalizations in 2019 for those aged >18 years were identified from English Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). Each hospitalization was mapped to the tariff cost paid to the care provider within the NHS, including critical care costs and accounting for length of stay and complexity of the case. Mean hospitalization costs were estimated in total and in individuals with defined underlying comorbidities.
RESULTS: A mean cost of £3,904 was estimated for 187,251 CAP admissions providing a total cost of approximately £731 million per annum. The mean cost was £3,402 excluding critical care costs, and £11,654 for critical care episodes in the 4.4% of admissions receiving this care. Groups at high risk of CAP had higher mean costs ranging from £4,458 for people with diabetes to £5,215 with heart disease for those <65 years and £4,356 with heart disease to £4,751 with liver disease in those aged >65 years who comprised 74.3% admissions overall.
CONCLUSION: This estimate of the cost of hospitalization for CAP from the total population and in those with certain underlying comorbidities will allow a valid understanding of the cost-benefit of vaccination and evidence-based prioritization of pneumococcal vaccination to those at highest risk.
PMID:35726515 | DOI:10.1080/13696998.2022.2090734
