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Direct medical costs associated with atopic diseases among young children in Thailand

Jarungchit Ngamphaiboon1, Thitima Kongnakorn, Patrick Detzel

  • 1Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn, University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Journal of Medical Economics
|May 31, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Direct medical costs for childhood atopic diseases in Thailand reached THB 27.8 billion. Nutritional interventions can help reduce these substantial economic burdens for atopic conditions in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
  • Health Economics
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Allergic diseases are a leading cause of childhood illness in Thailand, with increasing prevalence and significant economic impact.
  • Previous studies highlighted the economic burden of allergic diseases, but none specifically for Thailand.
  • This study addresses the gap by estimating direct medical costs for atopic diseases in young Thai children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To estimate the direct medical costs associated with atopic diseases in children aged 0-5 years in Thailand.
  • To quantify the economic burden of common childhood allergic conditions, including atopic dermatitis, chronic rhinitis, asthma, and cow's milk allergy.
  • To provide data for healthcare policy and intervention strategies in Thailand.

Main Methods:

  • A prevalence-based cost-of-illness model was developed for atopic dermatitis, chronic rhinitis, asthma, and cow's milk allergy.
  • Direct medical costs were calculated using a bottom-up approach, analyzing healthcare resource utilization and unit costs for 2010.
  • Epidemiological data were sourced from literature and Thai surveys; unit costs were obtained from hospital databases and standard cost lists.

Main Results:

  • The total estimated direct medical cost for childhood atopic diseases in Thailand was THB 27.8 billion (US$899 million).
  • Treatments accounted for the largest share of costs (46%), followed by inpatient (37%), outpatient (12%), and monitoring/labs (5%).
  • Cow's milk allergy incurred the highest per-patient cost (THB 64,383), followed by rhinitis (THB 12,669), asthma (THB 9633), and atopic dermatitis (THB 5432).

Conclusions:

  • Atopic diseases impose a substantial direct medical cost burden on young children in Thailand.
  • Implementing nutritional interventions can effectively reduce the incidence and associated costs of atopic diseases.
  • Further research is needed to address data limitations regarding severity distribution and indirect costs.
Abstract

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