Clinical and economic burden of invasive meningococcal disease: Evidence from a large German claims database

BACKGROUND: Limited data is available to describe clinical characteristics, long-term outcomes, healthcare resource use and the attributable costs of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in Germany. We aimed to examine demographic and clinical characteristics as well as healthcare resource use and related costs. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study based on the InGef database in patients with IMD between 2009 and 2015. Cases were identified based on hospital main discharge diagnoses of IMD. Demographics, clinical characteristics, 30-day and 1-year mortality as well as IMD-related complications and sequelae in IMD cases were examined. In addition, short and long-term costs and healthcare resource use in IMD cases were analyzed and compared to an age- and sex-matched control group without IMD. RESULTS: The study population comprised 164 IMD cases between 2009 and 2015. The mean length of the IMD-related hospitalization was 13 days and 38% of all cases presented with meningitis only, 35% with sepsis only, 16% with both and 11% with other IMD. The 30-day and one-year mortality were 4.3% and 5.5%, respectively. Approximately 13% of IMD cases had documented IMD-related complications at hospital discharge and 24% suffered from sequelae during follow-up. The IMD-related hospitalization was associated with mean costs of € 9,620 (standard deviation: € 22,197). The difference of mean costs between IMD cases and matched non-IMD controls were € 267 in the first month and € 1,161 from one month to one year after discharged from IMD-related hospitalization. During the later follow-up period, the mean overall costs and costs associated with individual healthcare sectors were also higher for IMD cases without reaching statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: IMD resulted in severe complications and sequelae and was associated with extensive costs and increased healthcare resource use in Germany, especially in the first year after IMD diagnosis and due the IMD-related hospitalization.