title: A diagnosis-based health economic analysis of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome in Chinese children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a common clinical problem in children and adolescents. The previous diagnostic approach to POTS of children and adolescents is based on a series of tests to exclude all other causes, which is time and medical resource consuming. Recently, a new diagnostic approach has been developed. The present study was designed to statistically analyze the results of clinical investigation items and the cost for the diagnosis of POTS in children patients, and evaluate cost changes in the diagnosis of POTS.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 315 children patients were divided into two groups according to diagnosis period, including group I diagnosed in 2002 - 2006 (100 cases) and group II in 2007 - 2010 (215 cases) and the diagnostic item-based distribution of the cost was analyzed. The diagnostic costs were compared between two groups using SPSS17.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The per-capita cost of diagnosis in group I was (621.95 ± 21.10) Yuan, costs of diagnostic tests (head-up tilt test, standing test, etc) accounted for 8.68% and the exclusive tests for 91.32%. The per-capita cost of diagnosis in group II was (542.69 ± 23.14) Yuan, diagnostic tests accounted for 10.50% and exclusive tests for 89.50%. Comparison of the total cost of diagnostic tests between the two groups showed significant differences (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cost of POTS diagnosis has been declined in recent years, but the cost of exclusive diagnosis is still its major part.
authors.affiliation: School of Economics and Management, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 102209, China.
authors.forename: Ya-Wen
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wen-Jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Feng-Wen
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jun-Bao
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: DU
authors.forename: Hong-Fang
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D044466:Asian People; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054972:Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics*; D011634:Public Health / Q000191:economics