Use of health care resources for varicella in the paediatric population, Jordan
Mohamed Abdullat1, Wail Hayajneh2, Ali Banni Issa3
1Ministry of Health, Al-Bashir Hospital, Amman, Jordan.
Insights
Varicella imposes a significant healthcare burden in Jordan, costing an estimated $11.5 million annually. These findings highlight the need for universal varicella vaccination programs in the region.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- The economic and clinical impact of varicella (chickenpox) in Jordan remains poorly understood.
- Quantifying the burden of varicella is crucial for informing public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the burden of varicella in Jordanian pediatric patients requiring hospital care.
- Assess healthcare resource utilization and associated costs for varicella cases.
Main Methods:
- A multicenter, retrospective review of medical records for children aged 0-14 years diagnosed with varicella in Jordan (2013-2018).
- Data collected included healthcare resource use (visits, tests, medications) and clinical complications.
- Costs were calculated based on direct medical expenses and indirect costs (caregiver lost revenue).
Main Results:
- 140 children (78 outpatients, 62 inpatients) were analyzed.
- Inpatient varicella cases showed significantly higher complication rates (52%) and healthcare resource utilization compared to outpatients.
- Estimated varicella costs were $66.1 per outpatient and $914.7 per inpatient.
Conclusions:
- Varicella incurs substantial healthcare resource utilization and costs in Jordan, estimated at $11.5 million annually.
- The findings strongly support the implementation of universal varicella vaccination in Jordan.
- Addressing the varicella burden through vaccination can lead to significant public health and economic benefits.
Background:
The exact burden of varicella is not well quantified in Jordan.
Aims:
This study aimed to estimate the varicella burden in paediatric patients in Jordan who sought care in a hospital-based setting.
Methods:
This was a multicentre, retrospective review of medical records of patients aged 0-14 years with a primary varicella diagnosis in Jordan between 2013 and 2018. The data assessed were: use of health care resources for varicella (outpatient and inpatient visits, tests and procedures, and medication use), and clinical complications of the infection. Estimated costs were based on health care resources used (direct costs) and lost revenue to the child's caregiver (indirect costs) for outpatients and inpatients.
Results:
In total, 140 children with varicella were included: 78 outpatients, mean age (standard deviation) 4.4 (3.2) years, and 62 inpatients, mean age 4.0 (3.8) years. No outpatients had varicella-related complications, while 32 (52%) inpatients had ≥ 1 complication. The use of health care resources was higher for inpatients than outpatients, including prescription medication use - 94% of inpatients versus 6% of outpatients. Total costs of varicella were estimated at US$ 66.1 (95% CI: 64.1-68.1) per outpatient and US$ 914.7 (95% CI: 455.6-1373.9) per inpatient.
Conclusions:
Varicella is associated with considerable use of health care resources in Jordan and may be responsible for annual costs of US$ 11.5 million. These results support universal varicella vaccination in Jordan.
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