Economic impact of pediatric HIV inpatient care in a tertiary centre.
Int Conf AIDS 1993 Jun 6-11; 9:126 (abstract no. WS-D23-5) Allen U, Mukwaya G, MacDonald N; Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Canada.
It has been suggested that the economic impact of Pediatric HIV infection in developed countries may be as costly or more costly to society than adult HIV infection. An evaluation of inpatient services utilized by pediatric AIDS patients was conducted from a societal perspective in order to examine the resultant economic burden. Costs were expressed in 1993 Canadian dollars and based on a tertiary care pediatric model in Canada covering a 3-year period up to December 31, 1992. In order to determine costs, hospital records of all children admitted with HIV-related complications were screened. The total number of hospital days utilized by pediatric HIV cases admitted to hospital (n = 11) was 766 days (mean 69.6 days). The duration of admission ranged from 2 to 415 days, with 67% of hospital days being related to inability of parents to administer care at home due in part to their own illness. Minimum inpatient costs ranged from 2,160 to 448,200 dollars, with the major cost component due to occupancy of a bed on a general ward (mean minimum daily cost = $1,000). For those children who have died, the mean life years gained after initial admission was 0.73 years, with the minimum total inpatient cost per life year gained being $396,000. The results highlight the high costs associated with terminal pediatric AIDS, particularly those whose parents are incapacitated. Such costs may be high even with small numbers of patients. Given the comprehensive nature of health care coverage in Canada, a redistribution of economic resources is possible, and could result in more cost-effective strategies than prolonged hospital admission for terminal pediatric AIDS cases.
Keywords: AEGIS, HIV, Hospitalization, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Infections, Costs and Cost Analysis, Health Resources, Hospital Charges, HIV Seronegativity, Economics, Hospital, Canada, North America, Adult, Child, Human, economics, immunology, ICA9
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