Among adults aged 60 years and older in the United States, the estimated economic burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is significant at almost $5 billion annually and comparable to influenza, according to findings presented at AMCP Nexus 2022.

While researchers determined the majority of this burden is linked to direct medical costs, productivity loss is also nearing $1 billion annually.

By applying calculated, literature-based RSV incidence to per-episode direct health care costs and work-loss estimates, researchers estimated the annual economic burden of RSV among this older adult population.

For hospitalized patients, those receiving outpatient care only, and ill, non-medically attended patients, economic burden was calculated separately.

“Direct health care costs were estimated by aggregating costs across each of the care settings, leveraging a prior retrospective cross-sectional analysis of the IBM Watson Health MarketScan database from January 1, 2000, to July 31, 2020,” wrote study authors.

For both patients and caregivers’, productivity loss estimates were calculated by multiplying days lost to RSV infection to daily wages. Costs and wages were reported in 2020 and researchers accounted for lost wages due to premature mortality.

For hospitalized, outpatient care, and ill, non-medically attended patients RSV episode incidences were estimated at 0.17%, 1.22%, and 3.62% from leveraging existing literature.

Among patients aged >60 years, direct health care costs due to RSV were estimated to be $3.2 billion for hospitalized patients, $690 million for outpatient care patients, and $23 million for ill, nonmedically attended patients for a total of $3.9 billion.

“RSV resulted in $830 million worth of productivity loss, including $577 million due to premature mortality, $16 million due to hospitalization, $60 million due to outpatient care, and $177 million for ill, non-medically attended patients,” reported researchers.

Caregivers’ lost wages totaled $119 million with hospitalization accounting for $53 million and outpatient care for $66 million.

Including both direct and indirect costs the aggregate annual burden of RSV was estimated at $4.9 billion.

“Prevention of RSV infections could result in substantial economic savings,” concluded study authors.

Reference:
DeMartino J, Mehta N, Foroughi C, et al. Annual economic burden of respiratory syncytial virus infections among the 60+ population in the United States. J Manag Care Spec Pharm. 2022;28(10-a suppl):S1-S137. doi:10.18553/jmcp.2022.28.10-a.s1