All-cause healthcare resource utilization and costs among community-managed adults with long-COVID in France, 2020-2023
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The clinical and economic burden of long-COVID is poorly understood. We aim to assess all-cause healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs in the primary care setting among adults with long-COVID in France. A retrospective cohort study using the electronic records of confirmed and/or probable COVID-19 patients from The Health Improvement Network (THIN) data between March 2020-December 2022 was conducted. Long-COVID was identified per World Health Organization (WHO) as suggestive symptoms present ≥3 months following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients’ characteristics, HCRU, direct healthcare and indirect costs (National Health Insurance-based prices) were summarized. Costs between patients with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection who developed long-COVID, patients with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection who did not develop long-COVID (COVID only), and contemporaneous controls without SARS-CoV-2 infection were compared (Non-COVID). Long COVID developed among 30,122 (11.6%) adults; mean (SD) age was 50 (17) years, 63.6% were female and 27.5% had a Charlson Comorbidity Index score >2. During the post-infection follow-up (mean = 13 months), 97.3% of patients had general practitioner consultations (GP) and 62.4% had nursing care. Costs were highest during the first post-diagnosis year with per patient per year costs of €2,443 (total cost of €52 million), including costs for GP (€208) and specialist (€170), outpatient procedures (€413), retail pharmacy use (€595), biological testing (€147), and medical device usage (€172). Patients with long COVID had additional costs of €163 and €176 when comparing to patients in the COVID only and Non-COVID cohorts, respectively. Since the THIN database is generated from GP EHRs, there is the possibility of measurement/documentation errors and missing values which could compromise the validity and accuracy of certain results. Long COVID was associated with non-negligible HCRU, direct and indirect costs to the French healthcare system. These findings reinforce the importance of optimizing long-term resource allocation for patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.
Source: Figshare
Authors: Yang, Jingyan, Cheikh Tamberou, Arnee, Elise, Squara, Pierre-Alexandre, Boukhlal, Ayoub, Nguyen, Jennifer L., Volkman, Hannah R., Fiévez, Stéphane, Lepoutre-Bourguet, Marina, Ren, Jinma, Romdhane, Haifa Ben, Crépey, Pascal, Robineau, Olivier
Language: English
Subfield: Neurology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6902276262
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