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Published on: November 16, 2016
Burden and economic cost of group A streptococcal pharyngitis
Elizabeth Pfoh1, Michael R Wessels, Donald Goldmann
1Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, 133 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Insights
Group A streptococcal pharyngitis in children incurs significant societal costs, with nonmedical expenses comprising nearly half. This common childhood illness results in substantial economic burden due to missed school and parental workdays.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Public health economics
- Healthcare management
Background:
- Group A streptococcal pharyngitis (GASP) is a common bacterial infection in school-aged children.
- Understanding the full economic impact of GASP is crucial for resource allocation and public health initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the morbidity, medical costs, and nonmedical costs associated with group A streptococcal pharyngitis in school-aged children.
- To provide a comprehensive societal cost analysis of GASP.
Main Methods:
- A study involving parents of children diagnosed with GASP at two pediatric practices in the Boston metropolitan area.
- Telephone interviews were conducted to gather data on healthcare utilization, medication use, and time missed from work or school.
Main Results:
- One hundred thirty-five parents completed interviews.
- Children missed an average of 1.9 days of school/daycare; 42% of parents missed an average of 1.8 workdays.
- The total societal cost per case was $205, with nonmedical costs accounting for $87.
Conclusions:
- The societal cost of group A streptococcal pharyngitis is substantial, with a significant portion attributed to nonmedical expenses.
- Extrapolated annual costs in the United States range from $224 to $539 million.
- These findings highlight the considerable economic burden of GASP beyond direct medical expenses.
Objective:
Our aim was to describe the morbidity, medical costs, and nonmedical costs associated with group A streptococcal pharyngitis in school-aged children.
Methods:
Our study population included parents of children diagnosed as having group A streptococcal pharyngitis at 2 pediatric practice sites in the Boston, Massachusetts, metropolitan area. Telephone interviews were conducted with parents of eligible children, who were asked questions about health care utilization, medications, and time missed from work or school, for calculation of medical and nonmedical costs associated with illness.
Results:
One hundred thirty-five parents completed interviews between October 2005 and January 2006. Older children were significantly more likely to present with headache, compared with those < or = 5 years of age. No significant differences between older and younger children were found for rates of sore throat, fever, abdominal pain/nausea/vomiting, or rash. Children missed a mean of 1.9 days (range: 0-7 days) of school/day care, and 42% of parents missed a mean of 1.8 days of work. A second parent or caregiver also missed a mean of 1.5 days in 14% of families. The total societal cost per case of group A streptococcal pharyngitis was $205 (medical: $118; nonmedical: $87).
Conclusions:
The societal cost of group A streptococcal pharyngitis is substantial, with almost one half being attributable to nonmedical costs. Through extrapolation from this experience, the total cost of group A streptococcal pharyngitis among children in the United States ranges from $224 to $539 million per year.
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