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Estimating influenza-related hospitalization in the Netherlands

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 1998

R. M. P. M. BALTUSSEN ,
A. REINDERS ,
M. J. W. SPRENGER ,
M. J. POSTMA ,
J. C. JAGER ,
A. J. H. A. AMENT  and
R. M. LEIDL
R. M. P. M. BALTUSSEN
Affiliation:
Department of Health, Organisation, Policy and Economics, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
A. REINDERS
Affiliation:
Centre of Public Health Forecasting, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
M. J. W. SPRENGER
Affiliation:
Department of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
M. J. POSTMA
Affiliation:
Centre of Public Health Forecasting, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
J. C. JAGER
Affiliation:
Centre of Public Health Forecasting, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
A. J. H. A. AMENT
Affiliation:
Department of Health, Organisation, Policy and Economics, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
R. M. LEIDL
Affiliation:
Department of Health Economics, University of Ulm, Germany
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Abstract

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The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of influenza on hospitalization in the Netherlands. Two methods were applied to estimate this effect: (a) regression analysis and (b) comparison of hospitalization in epidemic years with non-epidemic years. Hospital discharge rates in 1984–93 have been considered. The study shows that, during the period studied, on average, almost 2700 people were hospitalized for influenza per annum, and that influenza was diagnosed as the main cause for hospitalization in only a fraction of these hospitalizations (326: 12%). From an economic perspective, these results imply that the cost-effectiveness of vaccination against influenza may be severely underestimated when looking only at changes achieved in the number of hospitalizations attributed to influenza.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 121 , Issue 1 , August 1998 , pp. 129 - 138
Copyright
© 1998 Cambridge University Press