Cost-effectiveness of the National Pediatric Heart Transplantation Program in Australia

Abstract

Objectives: Cost data for pediatric heart transplantation are scarce. We examined hospital cost of the national pediatric heart transplantation program in Australia and assessed factors associated with increased costs. Methods: The hospital cost of all children who underwent heart transplantation at a national referral center between January 2003 and June 2015 and were followed more than 1 year was retrospectively analyzed. Lifetime follow-up costs were adjusted for quality of life and projected to life expectancy. All costs were reported in 2016 US dollars. Results: Of 70 children who underwent heart transplantation in the study period, 61 were followed more than 1 year after transplant..