Costs Attributable to Clostridioides difficile Infection Based on the Setting of Onset

Background Although hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is associated with significant healthcare costs, the economic burden of CDI with onset in other facilities or the community has not been well studied. Methods Incident CDI cases were identified using 2011-2017 Medicare fee-for-service data. Controls were randomly selected in a 4:1 ratio matching to the CDI case surveillance definition. Inverse probability of exposure weights were used to balance on measured confounders. One-, 3-, and 5-year cumulative costs attributable to CDI were computed using a 3-part estimator (parametric survival model and pair of 2-part models predicting costs separately in intervals where death did and did not occur). Results A total of 60 492 CDI cases were frequency-matched to 241 968 controls. One-, 3-, and 5-year adjusted attributable costs were highest for hospital-onset CDI at $14 257, $18 953, and $21 792, respectively, compared with hospitalized controls and lowest for community-associated CDI compared with community controls at $1013, $3161, and $6454, respectively. Adjusted 1-, 3-, and 5-year costs attributable to community-onset healthcare facility-associated CDI were $8222, $13 066, and $16 329 and for other healthcare facility-onset CDI were $5345, $6764, and $7125, respectively. Conclusions Economic costs attributable to CDI in elderly persons were highest for hospital-onset and community-onset healthcare facility-associated CDI. Although lower, attributable costs due to CDI were significantly higher in cases with CDI onset in the community or other healthcare facility than for comparable persons without CDI. Additional strategies to prevent CDI in the elderly are needed to reduce morbidity and healthcare expenditures. One-, 3-, and 5-year costs attributable to Clostridioides difficile infection in elderly Medicare recipients were highest for those with hospital-onset infection. Cost were lowest and very similar for those with other health facility-onset and community-associated infection.

Automated summary

Although the economic burden of hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is high among elderly patients, the economic costs of CDI in other healthcare facilities or the community are also significant. Additional strategies are needed to prevent CDI in the elderly and reduce morbidity and healthcare expenditures.