TY - JOUR
T1 - Medical Cost of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Children in Ambulatory Care
AU - Sánchez Choez, Xavier
AU - Loaiza Martínez, María
AU - Vaca Tatamuez, Viviana
AU - López Peña, Marco
AU - Manzano Pasquel, Andrea
AU - Jimbo Sotomayor, Ruth
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the direct cost per episode and the annual cost for upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in children in Ambulatory Health Centers of the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) of Ecuador. Methods: A cost of illness study with a provider perspective was carried out through a micro-costing of health resources and valuated in international dollars. Medical visits, laboratory tests, imaging examinations, and other procedures were valued using the tariff framework of services for the National Health System, and for prescribed medication a reported cost registry of pharmacy purchases made in the year of study was used. Results: We included 380 electronic health records of children. We found a re-consultation rate of 22.89%, a medicine prescription rate of 95.52%, and an antibiotic prescription rate of 45.26%. The first medical consultation accounted for 71.9% of the total cost of URTI, the following visits accounted for 11.82%, and medication accounted for 14.68%. Antibiotics accounted for 58.92% of the total cost of medication. Conclusion: The direct medical cost to the MSP of Ecuador of 1 episode of URTI in children in primary care was around I$37.28 (2017 dollars) (95% CI: I$35.81-I$38.75). The total cost of URTI cases in children to the MSP in 2017 was at least I$50.478 million (2017 dollars) (95% CI I$48.527m-I$52.523m). Re-consultation and the prescription of medication represent an important component of the direct cost of medical care of URTI.
AB - Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the direct cost per episode and the annual cost for upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in children in Ambulatory Health Centers of the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) of Ecuador. Methods: A cost of illness study with a provider perspective was carried out through a micro-costing of health resources and valuated in international dollars. Medical visits, laboratory tests, imaging examinations, and other procedures were valued using the tariff framework of services for the National Health System, and for prescribed medication a reported cost registry of pharmacy purchases made in the year of study was used. Results: We included 380 electronic health records of children. We found a re-consultation rate of 22.89%, a medicine prescription rate of 95.52%, and an antibiotic prescription rate of 45.26%. The first medical consultation accounted for 71.9% of the total cost of URTI, the following visits accounted for 11.82%, and medication accounted for 14.68%. Antibiotics accounted for 58.92% of the total cost of medication. Conclusion: The direct medical cost to the MSP of Ecuador of 1 episode of URTI in children in primary care was around I$37.28 (2017 dollars) (95% CI: I$35.81-I$38.75). The total cost of URTI cases in children to the MSP in 2017 was at least I$50.478 million (2017 dollars) (95% CI I$48.527m-I$52.523m). Re-consultation and the prescription of medication represent an important component of the direct cost of medical care of URTI.
KW - ambulatory care
KW - cost
KW - upper respiratory tract infection
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099611355&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.vhri.2020.10.001
DO - 10.1016/j.vhri.2020.10.001
M3 - Article
C2 - 33477101
AN - SCOPUS:85099611355
SN - 2212-1099
VL - 26
SP - 1
EP - 9
JO - Value in Health Regional Issues
JF - Value in Health Regional Issues
ER -