Burden and Cost of Gastrointestinal, Liver, and Pancreatic Diseases in the United States: Update 2021.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Gastrointestinal diseases account for considerable health care use and expenditures. We estimated the annual burden, costs, and research funding associated with gastrointestinal, liver, and pancreatic diseases in the United States. METHODS: We generated estimates using data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey; National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey; Nationwide Emergency Department Sample; National Inpatient Sample; Kids' Inpatient Database; Nationwide Readmissions Database; Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program; National Vital Statistics System; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research; MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters data; MarketScan Medicare Supplemental data; United Network for Organ Sharing registry; Medical Expenditure Panel Survey; and National Institutes of Health (NIH). RESULTS: Gastrointestinal health care expenditures totaled $119.6 billion in 2018. Annually, there were more than 36.8 million ambulatory visits for gastrointestinal symptoms and 43.4 million ambulatory visits with a primary gastrointestinal diagnosis. Hospitalizations for a principal gastrointestinal diagnosis accounted for more than 3.8 million admissions, with 403,699 readmissions. A total of 22.2 million gastrointestinal endoscopies were performed, and 284,844 new gastrointestinal cancers were diagnosed. Gastrointestinal diseases and cancers caused 255,407 deaths. The NIH supported $3.1 billion (7.5% of the NIH budget) for gastrointestinal research in 2020. CONCLUSIONS: Gastrointestinal diseases are responsible for millions of health care encounters and hundreds of thousands of deaths that annually costs billions of dollars in the United States. To reduce the high burden of gastrointestinal diseases, focused clinical and public health efforts, supported by additional research funding, are warranted.

Burden of gastrointestinal disease in the United States: 2012 update.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases account for substantial morbidity, mortality, and cost. Statistical analyses of the most recent data are necessary to guide GI research, education, and clinical practice. We estimate the burden of GI disease in the United States. METHODS: We collected information on the epidemiology of GI diseases (including cancers) and symptoms, along with data on resource utilization, quality of life, impairments to work and activity, morbidity, and mortality. These data were obtained from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey; National Health and Wellness Survey; Nationwide Inpatient Sample; Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program; National Vital Statistics System; Thompson Reuters MarketScan; Medicare; Medicaid; and the Clinical Outcomes Research Initiative's National Endoscopic Database. We estimated endoscopic use and costs and examined trends in endoscopic procedure. RESULTS: Abdominal pain was the most common GI symptom that prompted a clinic visit (15.9 million visits). Gastroesophageal reflux was the most common GI diagnosis (8.9 million visits). Hospitalizations and mortality from Clostridium difficile infection have doubled in the last 10 years. Acute pancreatitis was the most common reason for hospitalization (274,119 discharges). Colorectal cancer accounted for more than half of all GI cancers and was the leading cause of GI-related mortality (52,394 deaths). There were 6.9 million upper, 11.5 million lower, and 228,000 biliary endoscopies performed in 2009. The total cost for outpatient GI endoscopy examinations was $32.4 billion. CONCLUSIONS: GI diseases are a source of substantial morbidity, mortality, and cost in the United States.