Outpatient healthcare costs of childhood injuries in Australia: a 15-year longitudinal analysis using linked survey and health insurance data

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OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the excess out-of-hospital healthcare costs associated with unintentional childhood injuries in Australia. This relationship was investigated within a longitudinal biennially surveyed cohort of 8,852 children aged 0-19 years. We assessed whether costs increased over age and with the duration of injury prevalence. Results were compared against cost estimates from similar studies in Australia and analogous developed nations. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING: The nationally representative Longitudinal Study of Australian Children provided linked Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) cost data for the Birth and Kindergarten cohorts, followed for 15 years. STUDY DESIGN: We used a mixed effects generalized linear model (GLM) with a gamma distribution and log link to estimate outpatient healthcare costs and assess the effect of injury status, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. This model accounted for repeated measures over time and variability both within and between individuals. RESULTS: Annual excess outpatient and pharmaceutical costs for injuries among 0-19 year-olds were A$39.1 million for those who were hospitalised and A$104.8 million for those only requiring community-based treatment. These estimates do not include inpatient hospital costs, which are not captured in the Medicare dataset. CONCLUSIONS: Unintentional childhood injuries in Australia incur significant financial burden on the public healthcare system, with costs per capita higher than other childhood conditions. Our figures are likely an underestimate. These excess healthcare costs support preventive efforts to reduce injury incidence among children.

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