Health care and social care costs of pneumonia in Denmark: a register-based study of all citizens and patients with COPD in three municipalities

Figures & data

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of PA patients and the control group (the first half of 2013, %)

Characteristics	Disease group (n=383; %)	Control group (n=1,231;a %)
Sexb
Men	51	50
Women	49	50
Age (years)b
18–29	1	1
30–39	3	2
40–49	5	5
50–59	10	9
60–69	19	19
70–79	30	29
80+	33	34
Municipality
Gladsaxe	28	35
Holbaek	42	34
Lolland	30	31
Employment
Employed	14	15
Unemployed	1	1
Retirement, pension, etc	86	84
Retirement	72	62
Early retirementb	12	11
Income, DKKb
<100,000	2	2
100,000–200,000	65	64
200,000–300,000	19	20
300,000–400,000	7	7
400,000	7	7
Average length of stay during hospitalization, daysb
0	64	66
<2	13	12
<3	6	5
<5	5	5
+5	12	11
Number of outpatient visitsb
0	34	34
1	14	15
2–6	35	35
7+	17	16
Number of visits, GPb
0	7	7
1–5	23	23
6+	70	70
COPDb	9	9
Coronary heart failureb	2	1

Notes: Statistical testing (Student t-test P≤0.05) showed that none of these covariates were significantly different between the disease group and the control group.

a For the control group, we present the weighted percentage.

b Covariates used in the propensity score matching. “Retirement, pension, etc,” is covering all citizens outside workforce. “Retirement” is only those retired from the workforce due to age. “Early retirement” is those retired prior to the age of 65, where people normally retire in Denmark. Early retirement is often due to disease.

Abbreviations: GP, general practitioner; PA, pneumonia; DKK, Danish Kroner.

Table 2 Mean health care and social care costs per average patient (USD)a

	Disease group		Controls		Attributable costs due to pneumonia, mean difference per average patient
	No patients	Mean costs per average patient	No patients	Mean costs per average patient
Mean costs, first half of 2013	383	21,873	1,231	12,971
Mean costs, second half of 2013	383	34,561	1,231	10,406	24,155
Mean costs, 2013	383	56,434	1,231	23,377
Mean cost during 2013 by payer
National level	383	0	1,231	0
Regional level	383	24,000	1,231	10,795
Municipality levelb	383	32,006	1,231	12,237
Patient levelc	383	429	1,231	345
Mean costs, second half of 2013
National level	383	0	1,231	0	0
Regional level	383	16,728	1,231	4,418	12,311
Municipality levela	383	17,599	1,231	5,832	11,767
Patient levelc	383	234	1,231	157	77

Notes:

a The annual average exchange rate for USD in 2013 from the Central Bank of Denmark has been used to exchange from DKK to USD.

b The costs on the local municipality level consists of the municipalities cofinancing of regional health services and the municipalities’ own health care and social care. The costs of the municipalities’ own health care and social care are equally divided between the first and second parts of 2013, as it was not possible to allocate the costs exactly between the first and second half of 2013.

c Includes out-of-pocket spending for prescription medicine and health insurance.

Abbreviations: DKK, Danish Krone; USD, United States dollar.

Table 3 Subgroup analyses of mean health care and social care costs per average patient in the second half of 2013 (USD)a

	Disease group		Controls		Attributable costs due to pneumonia, mean difference per average patient
	No patients	Mean costs per average patient, second half of 2013	No patients	Mean costs per average patient, second half of 2013
COPD
Yes	81	35,022	156	15,716	19,306
No	302	34,437	1,075	9,636	24,802
Age (years)
18–59	72	31,888	311	5,896	25,992
60–69	72	30,558	293	6,322	24,237
70–79	114	37,464	312	11,311	26,153
80+	125	35,759	315	17,762	17,996
Sex
Men	194	38,513	626	9,797	28,715
Women	189	30,505	605	11,036	19,468

Note:

a The annual average exchange rate for USD in 2013 from the Central Bank of Denmark has been used to exchange from DKK to USD.

Abbreviations: DKK, Danish Krone; USD, United States dollar.