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This umbrella review and meta-analysis synthesized global evidence on healthcare costs for influenza treatment across different settings and age groups. Researchers analyzed seven systematic reviews and 17 primary studies, then used Bayesian modeling to estimate treatment costs for 195 countries based on healthcare expenditure per capita. The analysis found that costs increase with national healthcare spending, are higher for hospital admission versus outpatient care, and are highest for adults and lowest for children, though data from low- and middle-income countries remains limited.
Why it matters
These standardized cost estimates enable more accurate economic evaluations of influenza interventions like vaccination programs and non-pharmaceutical measures across diverse global settings. By providing predictions for countries lacking direct cost data, this work helps policymakers in resource-limited settings make evidence-based decisions about influenza prevention and treatment strategies.
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⚠️ Preprint – Noch nicht peer-reviewed
Dieser Artikel wurde noch nicht von unabhängigen Experten begutachtet. Die Ergebnisse sind vorläufig und sollten mit Vorsicht interpretiert werden.
Abstract Background Estimates of the healthcare costs associated with influenza treatment are essential for cost-effectiveness analyses that inform preventative and treatment strategies such as vaccination and non-pharmaceutical interventions. Existing evidence varies across treatment settings, age groups, and countries and there is little data from low- and middle-income settings. Methods We conducted an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses reporting direct admitted and non-admitted hospitalisation costs of seasonal influenza treatment in children, adults, and older people. We supplemented an evidence gap with a systematised review of studies reporting adult non-admitted treatment costs. Costs were extracted and adjusted to 2023 USD. We fitted a Bayesian mixed-effects model to estimate influenza treatment costs using national economic indicators, age group, and treatment setting as a priori predictors. We predicted admitted and non-admitted treatment costs for children, adults, and older people in 195 countries and territories. Results Seven reviews were included in the umbrella review, supplemented by 17 primary studies for adult non-admitted care. Extracted data points most frequently described admitted treatment costs and came from high-income countries. The best-fitting model used healthcare expenditure per capita to predict treatment costs, with country-level random effects. Estimated costs increased with healthcare expenditure per capita, were higher for admitted than non-admitted care, and were highest for adults and lowest for children. Conclusions This study provides novel estimates of influenza-associated healthcare costs across age groups and treatment settings by synthesising the available global evidence. By extrapolating to settings without data, our estimates can inform future economic evaluation studies of influenza interventions worldwide.
Source: Costs of influenza-associated healthcare: an umbrella review and meta-regression analysis