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Abstract
Background: The economic impact of managing long COVID in primary care is unknown. We estimated the costs of primary care consultations associated with long COVID and explored the relationship between risk factors and costs.
Methods: Data were obtained on non-hospitalised adults from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum primary care database. We used propensity score matching with an incremental cost method to estimate additional primary care consultation costs associated with long COVID (12 weeks after COVID-19) at an individual and UK national level. We applied multivariable regression models to estimate the association between risk factors and consultations costs beyond 12 weeks from acute COVID-19.
Results: Based on an analysis of 472,173 patients with COVID-19 and 472,173 unexposed individuals, the annual incremental cost of primary care consultations associated with long COVID was £2.44 per patient and £23,382,452 at the national level. Among patients with COVID-19, a long COVID diagnosis and reporting of longer-term symptoms were associated with a 43% and 44% increase in primary care consultation costs respectively, compared to patients without long COVID symptoms. Older age, female sex, obesity, being from a white ethnic group, comorbidities and prior consultation frequency were all associated with increased primary care consultation costs.
Conclusions: The costs of primary care consultations associated with long COVID in non-hospitalised adults are substantial. Costs are significantly higher among those diagnosed with long COVID, those with long COVID symptoms, older adults, females, and those with obesity and comorbidities.
Methods: Data were obtained on non-hospitalised adults from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum primary care database. We used propensity score matching with an incremental cost method to estimate additional primary care consultation costs associated with long COVID (12 weeks after COVID-19) at an individual and UK national level. We applied multivariable regression models to estimate the association between risk factors and consultations costs beyond 12 weeks from acute COVID-19.
Results: Based on an analysis of 472,173 patients with COVID-19 and 472,173 unexposed individuals, the annual incremental cost of primary care consultations associated with long COVID was £2.44 per patient and £23,382,452 at the national level. Among patients with COVID-19, a long COVID diagnosis and reporting of longer-term symptoms were associated with a 43% and 44% increase in primary care consultation costs respectively, compared to patients without long COVID symptoms. Older age, female sex, obesity, being from a white ethnic group, comorbidities and prior consultation frequency were all associated with increased primary care consultation costs.
Conclusions: The costs of primary care consultations associated with long COVID in non-hospitalised adults are substantial. Costs are significantly higher among those diagnosed with long COVID, those with long COVID symptoms, older adults, females, and those with obesity and comorbidities.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 245 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | BMC Primary Care |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 20 Nov 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding:This work is independent research jointly funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) (Therapies for Long COVID in non-hospitalised individuals: From symptoms, patient reported outcomes and immunology to targeted therapies (The TLC Study), COV-LT-0013). The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR, the Department of Health and Social Care or UKRI.
Keywords
- COVID-19
- Long COVID
- Primary care
- Cost
- Economic
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Therapies for Long COVID in non-hospitalised individuals: From symptoms, patient-reported outcomes and immunology to targeted therapies (The TLC Study) *OPEN FOR DISSEMINATION ONLY*
Calvert, M. (Co-Investigator), Gkoutos, G. (Co-Investigator), Wraith, D. (Co-Investigator), Nirantharakumar, K. (Researcher), Sapey, E. (Researcher), Hughes, S. (Researcher), Haroon, S. (Principal Investigator), McMullan, C. (Researcher), Jackson, L. (Researcher), Cruz Rivera, S. (Researcher), Marwaha, S. (Co-Investigator), Turner, G. (Researcher), Chandan, J. (Researcher), Marshall, T. (Researcher), Aiyegbusi, L. (Researcher), Lord, J. (Co-Investigator) & Denniston, A. (Researcher)
1/03/21 → 29/03/26
Project: Other Government Departments