Inpatient Care Costs of COVID-19 in South Africa’s Public Healthcare System
Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a devastating impact globally, with severe health and economic consequences. To prepare health systems to deal with the pandemic, epidemiological and cost projection models are required to inform budgets and efficient allocation of resources. T...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Kerman University of Medical Sciences
2022-08-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Health Policy and Management |
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| Online Access: | https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4037_2c3fe93994e349dc29555c30ed16813f.pdf |
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| author | Ijeoma Edoka Heather Fraser Lise Jamieson Gesine Meyer-Rath Winfrida Mdewa |
| author_facet | Ijeoma Edoka Heather Fraser Lise Jamieson Gesine Meyer-Rath Winfrida Mdewa |
| author_sort | Ijeoma Edoka |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a devastating impact globally, with severe health and economic consequences. To prepare health systems to deal with the pandemic, epidemiological and cost projection models are required to inform budgets and efficient allocation of resources. This study estimates daily inpatient care costs of COVID-19 in South Africa, an important input into cost projection and economic evaluation models. Methods We adopted a micro-costing approach, which involved the identification, measurement and valuation of resources used in the clinical management of COVID-19. We considered only direct medical costs for an episode of hospitalisation from the South African public health system perspective. Resource quantities and unit costs were obtained from various sources. Inpatient costs per patient day was estimated for consumables, capital equipment and human resources for three levels of inpatient care – general wards, high care wards and intensive care units (ICUs). Results Average daily costs per patient increased with the level of care. The highest average daily cost was estimated for ICU admissions – 271 USD to 306 USD (financial costs) and ~800 USD to 830 USD (economic costs, excluding facility fee) depending on the need for invasive vs. non-invasive ventilation (NIV). Conversely, the lowest cost was estimated for general ward-based care – 62 USD to 79 USD (financial costs) and 119 USD to 278 USD (economic costs, excluding facility fees) depending on the need for supplemental oxygen. In high care wards, total cost was estimated at 156 USD, financial costs and 277 USD, economic costs (excluding facility fees). Probabilistic sensitivity analyses suggest our costs estimates are robust to uncertainty in cost inputs. Conclusion Our estimates of inpatient costs are useful for informing budgeting and planning processes and costeffectiveness analysis in the South African context. However, these estimates can be adapted to inform policy decisions in other context. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T05:29:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f68cdb64d6f148bba37ae55ea42dbbde |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2322-5939 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T05:29:43Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Kerman University of Medical Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Health Policy and Management |
| spelling | doaj.art-f68cdb64d6f148bba37ae55ea42dbbde2023-03-07T09:11:26ZengKerman University of Medical SciencesInternational Journal of Health Policy and Management2322-59392022-08-011181354136110.34172/ijhpm.2021.244037Inpatient Care Costs of COVID-19 in South Africa’s Public Healthcare SystemIjeoma Edoka0Heather Fraser1Lise Jamieson2Gesine Meyer-Rath3Winfrida Mdewa4SAMRC Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science-PRICELESS SA, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South AfricaSAMRC Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science-PRICELESS SA, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South AfricaHealth Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South AfricaHealth Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South AfricaSAMRC Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science-PRICELESS SA, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South AfricaBackground Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a devastating impact globally, with severe health and economic consequences. To prepare health systems to deal with the pandemic, epidemiological and cost projection models are required to inform budgets and efficient allocation of resources. This study estimates daily inpatient care costs of COVID-19 in South Africa, an important input into cost projection and economic evaluation models. Methods We adopted a micro-costing approach, which involved the identification, measurement and valuation of resources used in the clinical management of COVID-19. We considered only direct medical costs for an episode of hospitalisation from the South African public health system perspective. Resource quantities and unit costs were obtained from various sources. Inpatient costs per patient day was estimated for consumables, capital equipment and human resources for three levels of inpatient care – general wards, high care wards and intensive care units (ICUs). Results Average daily costs per patient increased with the level of care. The highest average daily cost was estimated for ICU admissions – 271 USD to 306 USD (financial costs) and ~800 USD to 830 USD (economic costs, excluding facility fee) depending on the need for invasive vs. non-invasive ventilation (NIV). Conversely, the lowest cost was estimated for general ward-based care – 62 USD to 79 USD (financial costs) and 119 USD to 278 USD (economic costs, excluding facility fees) depending on the need for supplemental oxygen. In high care wards, total cost was estimated at 156 USD, financial costs and 277 USD, economic costs (excluding facility fees). Probabilistic sensitivity analyses suggest our costs estimates are robust to uncertainty in cost inputs. Conclusion Our estimates of inpatient costs are useful for informing budgeting and planning processes and costeffectiveness analysis in the South African context. However, these estimates can be adapted to inform policy decisions in other context.https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4037_2c3fe93994e349dc29555c30ed16813f.pdfinpatient costcovid-19south africahealthcare budgeteconomic costfinancial cost |
| spellingShingle | Ijeoma Edoka Heather Fraser Lise Jamieson Gesine Meyer-Rath Winfrida Mdewa Inpatient Care Costs of COVID-19 in South Africa’s Public Healthcare System International Journal of Health Policy and Management inpatient cost covid-19 south africa healthcare budget economic cost financial cost |
| title | Inpatient Care Costs of COVID-19 in South Africa’s Public Healthcare System |
| title_full | Inpatient Care Costs of COVID-19 in South Africa’s Public Healthcare System |
| title_fullStr | Inpatient Care Costs of COVID-19 in South Africa’s Public Healthcare System |
| title_full_unstemmed | Inpatient Care Costs of COVID-19 in South Africa’s Public Healthcare System |
| title_short | Inpatient Care Costs of COVID-19 in South Africa’s Public Healthcare System |
| title_sort | inpatient care costs of covid 19 in south africa s public healthcare system |
| topic | inpatient cost covid-19 south africa healthcare budget economic cost financial cost |
| url | https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4037_2c3fe93994e349dc29555c30ed16813f.pdf |
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