Excess hospitalizations and changes in the structure of hospitalization costs for acute respiratory infections after managing COVID-19 with measures against Class B infectious diseases, Yantian District, Shenzhen.

Objective To explore the excess hospitalization and structural change in hospitalization costs of acute respiratory infections (novel coronavirus infection excluded) in Yantian, Shenzhen, as the changing epidemiological patterns of respiratory infections. To provide information for the development of evidence-based public health policies and the burden of disease control measures. Methods Adjusted Serfling regression models were used to estimate the excess hospitalization and degree of structural change and grey correlation analysis was employed to analyze the change in structure of hospitalization costs and the association of items, based on the data from the regional health information platform in Yantian District from 2020 to 2023. Results In 2023, there were 1 698 excess hospitalization cases of acute respiratory infection, with an excess rate of 170.82%, accounting for 63.08% of the total number of hospitalizations. An increase in the number of viral and mycoplasma infections may be the reason for the excess hospitalization. There was a change in the structure of hospitalization costs, with the diagnostic category having the greatest value, contribution, and association with the structural change in costs. Conclusion There was a high excess hospitalization for acute respiratory infections and structural change in hospitalization costs was observed in 2023. Surveillance systems should be continuously improved to capture abnormal epidemics or excess hospitalizations to provide evidence for medical resource preparation and allocation. Clinical pathway management should be continuously strengthened to reduce the medical cost of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]