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.
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.
Authors: Maarten O Blanken; Geert W Frederix; Elisabeth E Nibbelke; Hendrik Koffijberg; Elisabeth A M Sanders; Maroeska M Rovers; Louis Bont Journal: Eur J Pediatr Date: 2017-11-22 Impact factor: 3.183