title: Health care service utilization among patients with chronic rhinosinusitis: a population-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous studies showed that chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) accounts for billions of dollars in healthcare resource utilization. However, all such study estimates of the economic burden of CRS were based on subpopulations in Western societies. This study aimed to investigate differences in the utilization of healthcare services between subjects with CRS and comparison subjects using Taiwan's National Health Insurance database.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 5,849 CRS subjects and 17,547 selected comparison subjects were included in this study. We evaluated healthcare resource utilization in a 1-year period. Variables of healthcare resource utilization included the following: numbers of outpatient visits and inpatient days, and the mean costs of outpatient and inpatient treatment. We also divided healthcare resource utilization into ear, nose, and throat (ENT) and non-ENT services.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On the utilization of ENT services, CRS subjects had significantly more outpatient visits (3.9 vs. 1.4, P < .001) and significantly higher outpatient costs (US$77.7 vs. US$19.4, P < .001) than comparison subjects. As for the use and costs of all healthcare services, CRS subjects had significantly more outpatient visits (27.9 vs. 18.3, P < .001) and significantly higher outpatient (US$953 vs. US$665, P < .001) and total (US$1319 vs. US$946, P < .001) costs than comparison subjects. Namely, on average, CRS subjects had 152% more outpatient visits and 139% higher total costs than comparison subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study found that subjects with CRS had significantly higher use of all healthcare services and costs than aged-matched controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  2c.
authors: Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Department of Otolaryngology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
authors: Shiu-Dong
authors: SD
authors: Chung
authors: Shih-Han
authors: SH
authors: Hung
authors: Herng-Ching
authors: HC
authors: Lin
authors: Ching-Chun
authors: CC
authors: Lin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006296:Health Services / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D013624:Taiwan; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Chronic rhinosinusitis; chronic periodontitis