APPENDIX 1.

Sources of cast data

Resource item	Measure of output	Method used to measure cost
Inpatient hospitalization (ward)	Days of care, including attending physician's service	Hospital component: Per diem Resource Intensive Weight for Case Mix Group 294 (Gastroenteritis, under age 70) of 0.2023 (9) applied to cost per weighted case for each study hospital (10). Physician components based on Ontario Schedule of Benefits (11), admission assessment (code C264, $32.55) and daily visit (code C262, 7.10)
Inpatient hospitalization paediatric intensive care	Days of care	Estimated paediatric intensive care unit cost per day from study hospital ($1,200)
Emergency room visit	Visit, including fee for emergency room attending physician	Mean value of emergency room cost and intravenous fluids, including allocated costs from diagnostic centres, for three study hospitals ($91 per visit). Ontario physician fees for emergency room partial consultation ($38) (11, code A414)
Physician office visits	Visits	Fee per visit for paediatric consultation (Ontario Schedule of Benefits, code A263, $49.85) and general practitioner (11, code A007, $24.80)
Prescription medications antibiotics and other	Prescription, by number of days drug taken at home	Antibiotics: a standard cost based on the Ontario Drug Benefits plan (12) for amoxycillin (125 mg, three times daily) ($2.10 per seven days) plus dispensing fee ($11 flat rate). Drugs other than antibiotics: actual cost as reported in questionnaire
Oral rehydration fluids, over-the-counter medications, other supplies		Cost as self-reported
Other services, such as diapers, toys, clothes, supplies, diaper creams, baby wipes, vaseline, laundry		Costs as self-reported
Transportation	Out-of-pocket expenses (public transport, taxi, parking, accommodation) and kilometres travelled for medical care and supplies	Self-reported outlays and travel at 23¢/km
Lost work	Days	Average daily earnings in Ontario, July 1998 ($129 per day) (13)