Healthcare Costs of Rotavirus and Other Types of Gastroenteritis in Children in Norway.
Shin, Minkyung MA, MPhil; Salamanca, Beatriz Valcarcel MSc, PhD; Kristiansen, Ivar S. MD, PhD; Flem, Elmira MD, PhD
[Article]
Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.
35(4):e97-e101, April 2016.
(Format: HTML, PDF)
Background: Norway has initiated a publicly funded rotavirus immunization program for all age-eligible children in 2014. We aimed to estimate the healthcare costs of rotavirus gastroenteritis in children younger than 5 years old.
Methods: We identified all gastroenteritis cases in children younger than 5 years old treated during 2009-2013 through the national claims database for primary care and the national hospital registry. We estimated direct medical costs of rotavirus-associated primary care consultations and hospital encounters (inpatient admission, outpatient visit and ambulatory care). We performed a range of one-way sensitivity analyses to explore uncertainty in the cost estimates.
Results: Before vaccine introduction, the mean healthcare cost of rotavirus gastroenteritis in children younger than 5 years old was [Euro sign]4,440,337 per year. Among rotavirus-associated costs, 92% were hospital costs and the remaining 8% were primary care costs. The mean annual cost of rotavirus-associated hospital encounters was [Euro sign]4,083,691, of which 95% were costs of inpatient hospital admissions. The average healthcare cost of medically attended gastroenteritis in children younger than 5 years old was approximately [Euro sign]8 million per year, of which rotavirus-related costs represented 56%.
Conclusions: Healthcare costs of rotavirus gastroenteritis in Norway are substantial. The cost-effectiveness of ongoing rotavirus immunization program should be reassessed.
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