Objective To estimate the direct economic burden of varicella in Changzhou city and factors influencing burden.Methods We obtained data on outpatient and inpatient varicella cases and their direct medical costs from the Changzhou Universal Health Information Platform.We calculated average direct medical costs and identified factors influencing cost.Results The study included 7 736 outpatient and 446 inpatient varicella cases.Median(interquartile)direct medical costs were 179.60(104.31-291.97)and 2 896.27(2 200.15-4 070.90)yuan for outpatient and inpatient cases,respectively.Multivariate analysis showed that the direct medical cost for outpatient care was higher among cases who were older,who visited regular clinics,and who visited higher-grade hospitals.Direct medical costs for inpatient care increased with increasing age and course of illness.Conclusions The direct economic burden of varicella was heavy in Changzhou.We should continually promote childhood varicella vaccination and expand the varicella vaccine target population to reduce the economic burden of varicella.
维普
万方数据