Healthcare Resource Utilization and Healthcare Costs
of COVID-19 Patients in A Tertiary Care Public Hospital:
A Retrospective Cohort Study in Thailand
Jirapong Leeyaphan MD¹, Charussri Leeyaphan MD², Patama Suttha MD¹, Suthira Taychakhoonavudh PhD³,
Nattanichcha Kulthanachairojana PhD⁴
Affiliation : ¹ Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand ² Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand ³ Department of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand ⁴ Division of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Burapha University, Chonburi, Thailand
Objective: Health care costs (HCCs) are a significant concern in developing countries. The authors investigated the healthcare resource utilization
(HCRU) and HCCs for patients with COVID-19 based on disease severity and infection site.
Materials and Methods: The authors reviewed data from the electronic medical records of COVID-19 patients admitted to the present study hospital between January 2020 and April 2020. The authors used comorbidities and patient characteristics as covariates. Analyses were conducted using simple linear regression and generalized linear regression models with a log-link and gamma distribution.
Results: Two hundred two patients had confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Total costs per patient were 6,626 USD (756 to 45,586). Personal protection equipment costs were the most significant cost for COVID-19 patients with a mean of 3,778 USD. The mean treatment cost per patient was 326 USD. Patients with severe symptoms and lower respiratory tract infection (LRI) had a higher cost and resource utilization value before and after adjusting for covariates.
Conclusion: COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms and LRI had higher HCRU. Length of stay, severity of symptoms, and LRI were associated with higher cost of treatment.
Received 21 June 2021 | Revised 17 November 2021 | Accepted 23 November 2021
doi.org/10.35755/jmedassocthai.2021.12.13109
Keywords :
SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Healthcare resource utilization; Healthcare costs; Thailand
All Articles
Download