Population Incidence and Burden of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis on Australian Health System: Data Linkage Study.

AIM: There is a lack of population-based information on patterns of healthcare for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The aim of this study was to examine the population incidence of health service utilisation for children with JIA.

METHODS

We conducted a population-based data linkage study that examined children aged < 16 admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of JIA in New South Wales, Australia between 2002 and 2019. The annual incidence of JIA hospitalisations was calculated using population denominators. Health service utilisation and associated costs to the health system 12 months before and after the first JIA admission were examined using linked hospital admission, emergency department (ED) and outpatient datasets.

RESULTS

A total of 1433 children were admitted to hospital with a first diagnosis of JIA; the highest annual incidence was 7.2/100 000 children. In the year before the first JIA admission, 29% were admitted to hospital, 43% presented to the ED and 48% attended an outpatient clinic. In the year following the first JIA admission, inpatient/outpatient attendance increased: 44% had at least one inpatient admission, 61% attended ≥ 1 outpatient clinics. ED presentations remained stable. The unadjusted total cost to the health system in the year before the first JIA admission was $4422 per child diagnosed with JIA compared to $11 806 in the year following the first JIA admission.

CONCLUSION

Children with JIA have been demonstrated to be frequent users of hospital services, particularly just before and following their first admission for JIA, highlighting the impact of JIA both on the child and the health system.