Medical service utilization and costs of autism spectrum disorder: Evidence from hospital records in Beijing, China

As more and more people are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it is necessary to better understand their costs. Detailed information on medical service utilization and costs could aid in designing equitable, effective policies to support individuals with ASD and their families. In this retrospective analysis, individuals with a hospital encounter (outpatient visit or inpatient admission) were collected from Beijing Municipal Health Big Data and Policy Research Center (BMHBD), from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2021. We analyzed the costs, hospital visits/admissions and their changing trends over 5 years. Poisson regression and logit regression were conducted to analyze the influencing factors of visits, admissions and costs. The study population consisted of 26,826 users of medical services (26,583 outpatients and 243 inpatients; mean age: 4.82 +/- 3.47 years for outpatients; 11.62 +/- 6.74 years for inpatients). 99.1% were outpatients (mean +/- standard deviation (SD) costs per year: $422.06 +/- $11.89), while 0.9% were inpatients (mean +/- SD costs per year: $4411.71 +/- $925.81). More than 50% of outpatients received medication and diagnostic testing services. Among those with an inpatient admission, 91% received treatment services. Medication costs were the major contributor to medical costs for adults. Diagnostic test and treatment costs were the major contributors for children and adolescents. The findings demonstrated a significant economic burden for those diagnosed with ASD and highlighted opportunities for improving the care of this vulnerable group. This study adds to the literature by focusing on age differences among health-care utilization in individuals with ASD. Lay Summary This is the first study of medical service use and costs for individuals with ASD of all ages in a large city in China. By comparing medical service utilization and costs across age groups, we fill a gap in the literature. Being a relatively recent diagnosis in China, ASD-specific government initiatives are just getting started. Our findings suggest that more research into service accessibility is required to guarantee that all age groups can utilize these services.

Automated summary

As the number of people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to rise, it is important to understand the costs associated with the condition. This study analyzed the utilization and costs of medical services for individuals with ASD in Beijing over a five-year period. The findings revealed a significant economic burden for individuals with ASD and highlighted the need for improved care and accessibility to services across different age groups.