Economic Issues: Toward a Cost-Effective Approach to the Management of Febrile Neutropenia in Japan

• Published in: Clinical infectious diseases Vol. 39; no. Supplement-1; pp. S68 - S69
• Main Author: MASAOKA, Tohru
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 15.07.2004; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Antimicrobials; Biological and medical sciences; Colony stimulating factors; Cost efficiency; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Economic costs; Fever; Fever - complications; Health care costs; Health outcomes; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Infectious diseases; Japan; Medical sciences; Neutropenia; Neutropenia - complications; Neutropenia - drug therapy; Neutropenia - economics; Opportunistic Infections - complications; Opportunistic Infections - drug therapy; Opportunistic Infections - economics; Other diseases. Hematologic involvement in other diseases; Preventive medicine; Sepsis - complications; Sepsis - drug therapy; Sepsis - economics; Asia; Japan; Human; Costs; Prognosis; Leukopenia; Methodology; Mortality; Hemopathy; Fever; Morbidity; Infection; Clinical management; Treatment; Surveillance; Health economy; Public health; Neutropenia
• ISSN: 1058-4838; 1537-6591
• DOI: 10.1086/383059

The cost of treating neutropenic patients unexplained fever is of significant concern in Japan because of the depressed economy and the aging population. Development of a standardized treatment methodology specifically tailored to the situation in Japan will make the treatment more efficient for health care institutions, will allow for improved monitoring of practices and costs, and will result in better patient care. It is essential, however, that the welfare of the patients be the utmost priority—cost savings is not sufficient in the absence of a significant impact on morbidity and mortality.