How much do superbugs cost Australian hospitals? An evidence-based open-access tool

Area of Science:

• Health Economics
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• Rising prevalence of drug-resistant infections poses a significant global health and economic challenge.
• Limited understanding of the country-level impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on healthcare costs and outcomes.
• Need for transparent, realistic estimates to inform effective policy interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce ResImpact, an innovative online open-access tool for estimating the national cost of common drug-resistant infections in Australia.
• To provide a user-friendly platform for policymakers and health professionals to assess the economic burden of AMR.
• To facilitate evidence-based policy development for the Australian healthcare system.

Main Methods:

• Development of an innovative online open-access tool named ResImpact.
• Inclusion of parameters allowing users to modify the proportion of five common resistant organisms.
• Estimation of associated healthcare costs based on user-defined input and transparent economic data.

Main Results:

• ResImpact provides accessible estimates of the national healthcare costs linked to drug-resistant infections in Australia.
• The tool translates complex economic data into a practical and user-friendly output.
• Enables users to explore the potential economic impact of varying proportions of resistant organisms.

Conclusions:

• ResImpact serves as a valuable resource for understanding and addressing the economic burden of drug-resistant infections in Australia.
• The tool empowers policymakers and health professionals with data to improve healthcare policy responses.
• Facilitates informed decision-making to mitigate the impact of antimicrobial resistance on national health services.