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Economic Impact of Outbreaks of Norovirus Infection in Hospitals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Bruce Y. Lee*
Affiliation:
Public Health Computational and Operations Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Sarah M. McGlone
Affiliation:
Public Health Computational and Operations Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Rachel R. Bailey
Affiliation:
Public Health Computational and Operations Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Zachary S. Wettstein
Affiliation:
Public Health Computational and Operations Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Craig A. Umscheid
Affiliation:
Center for Evidence Based Practice, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Robert R. Muder
Affiliation:
VA Pittsburgh Health System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
*
Public Health Computational and Operations Research (PHICOR), University of Pittsburgh, 200 Meyran Avenue, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 ([email protected])

Extract

Norovirus is highly infectious and can spread rapidly in healthcare settings, consuming resources and resulting in longer hospital stays. Although the economic impact of specific past outbreaks has been reported (eg, a 2007 outbreak of norovirus infection at Johns Hopkins Hospital cost an estimated $650,000), these costs may not be generalizable. We developed an economic computer simulation model to assist policy makers, hospital administrators, infection control professionals, and other healthcare workers in determining how much to invest in norovirus prevention and control interventions above and beyond existing infection control measures.

Type
Research Briefs
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2011

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