Volume 17, Number 8—August 2011
Research
Cost-effectiveness of Sick Leave Policies for Health Care Workers with Influenza-like Illness, Brazil, 2009
Nancy Val y Val P. Mota, Renata D. Lobo, Cristiana M. Toscano, Antonio C. Pedroso de Lima, M. Beatriz Souza Dias, Helio Komagata, and Anna S. Levin
Table 5
Costs associated with HCW absenteeism during the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 outbreak, by type of sick leave policy, Hospital das Clínicas, São Paulo, Brazil, May–October, 2009*
| Cost category |
2-d + reassessment, n = 415 HCWs |
7-d, n = 169 HCWs |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit cost, R$ |
No. units |
Cost, R$ |
Unit cost, R$ |
No. units |
Cost, R$ |
||
| Direct costs | |||||||
| Diagnosis | |||||||
| Medical consultation | 7.90 | 1,037.50 | 8,196.25 | 7.90 | 185.90 | 1,468.61 | |
| Real-time PCR | 100.00 | 184.00 | 18,400.00 | 100.00 | 60.00 | 6,000.00 | |
| Respiratory swab | 0.46 | 184.00 | 84.64 | 0.46 | 60.00 | 27.60 | |
| Outpatient care | |||||||
| Oseltamivir | 112.40 | 415 | 46,646.00 | 112.40 | 169 | 18,995.60 | |
| Antimicrobial drugs | 2.40 | 83 | 199.20 | 2.40 | 34 | 81.60 | |
| Medication for symptoms | 2.95 | 291 | 858.45 | 2.95 | 118 | 348.10 | |
| Hospitalization, d | 1,196.39 | 30.00 | 35,891.70 | 1,871.06 | 4.00 | 7,484.24 | |
| Staff replacement, d | |||||||
| Physician | 858.51 | 50.50 | 43,354.76 | 858.51 | 17.50 | 15,023.93 | |
| Nurse | 257.07 | 131.60 | 33,830.41 | 257.07 | 166.60 | 42,827.86 | |
| Nurse assistant | 167.09 | 421.40 | 70,411.73 | 167.09 | 419.30 | 70,060.84 | |
| Nonmedical |
10.00 |
1.50 |
6,225.00 |
10.00 |
0.10 |
169.00 |
|
| Indirect costs | |||||||
| Productivity losses, d | |||||||
| Physician | 381.23 | 101.00 | 38,504.23 | 381.23 | 35.00 | 13,343.05 | |
| Nurse | 307.15 | 188.00 | 57,744.20 | 307.15 | 238.00 | 73,101.70 | |
| Nurse assistant |
157.18 |
602.00 |
94,622.36 |
157.18 |
599.00 |
94,150.82 |
|
| Total | 454,968.92 | 343,082.94 | |||||
*HCW, health care worker; 2-d + reassessment, 2-day sick leave plus reassessment every 2 days until asymptomatic policy; 7-d, 7-day sick leave policy; R$, Brazilian reals (R$1.80 = US $1.00).
†Round-trip bus fare for reassessment.
