Abstract

Purpose: This study attempted to investigate the effects of a tonsillectomy on utilization of medical resources for acute respiratory infections by comparing numbers and costs of clinic visits within 1. year before and after a tonsillectomy. Materials and methods: Data for this study were retrieved from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005. The study includes 481 patients aged 18-80. years who underwent a tonsillectomy and 481 comparison patients. A multivariate regression model employing difference-in-difference was carried out to assess the independent association between a tonsillectomy and the number and costs of clinic visits. Results: We found that for patients who underwent a tonsillectomy, the mean number of clinic visits for acute respiratory care 1. year before and after the index date significantly decreased from 7.3 to 4.2 (p <. 0.001). However, for the comparison group, there was no significant difference in the number (p = 0.540) or costs (p = 0.221) of clinic visits for acute respiratory care 1. year before and after the index date. A multivariate regression model revealed that a tonsillectomy was associated with a reduction of 3.38 in the mean number of clinic visits for acute respiratory care (p <. 0.001). In other words, a tonsillectomy reduced by 46.3% (3.38/7.3) the number of clinic visits for acute respiratory care after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and medical comorbidities compared to comparison patients. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that a tonsillectomy was of substantial benefit to adult patients in that it provides decreased healthcare utilization for acute respiratory infections.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)488-491
Number of pages4
JournalAmerican Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Medicine and Surgery
Volume38
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2017

Keywords

  • Acute respiratory infection
  • Epidemiology
  • Tonsillectomy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Otorhinolaryngology

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