Publication
Title
Economic consequences of Japanese schools' recovery certificate policy for seasonal influenza
Author
Abstract
BackgroundLike other countries, Japan experiences a seasonal influenza epidemic every year. In order to return to school after a influenza-related absence, most Japanese students are required to submit a recovery certificate (chiyu-shoumeisyo in Japanese). The objective of this study was to estimate the economic consequences of this practice.MethodsA cost analysis was conducted to estimate the additional costs incurred by the issuance of recovery certificates from a restricted societal perspective. The estimated number of influenza patients under 15years old from the 2013/14 season to the 2017/18 season, the proportion of working mothers were used to calculate the estimated total number of recovery certificates issued per year. The cost of return visits to physicians and the cost for issuing certificates were included in the direct costs. Productivity loss was estimated using the mean monthly salary of women and was included in indirect costs.ResultsThe recovery certificate policy imposed an additional cost of 0.94 million USD per one million population. One-way deterministic sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the additional cost of the recovery certificate policy amounted to between 0.55 and 2.27 million USD per one million population. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed similar results.ConclusionsThe recovery certificate policy has a substantial negative economic impact on the Japanese healthcare system and society from a restricted societal perspective.
Language
English
Source (journal)
BMC public health. - London
Publication
London : 2019
ISSN
1471-2458
DOI
10.1186/S12889-019-6600-0
Volume/pages
19 (2019) , 7 p.
Article Reference
280
ISI
000460788300001
Pubmed ID
30849942
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 04.04.2019
Last edited 01.01.2025
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