Social costs associated with fibromyalgia in Spain.

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia is a chronic rheumatic disease of unknown aetiology, highly disabling and mainly affecting women. The aim of our work is to estimate, on a national scale, the economic impact of this disease on the employment of patients and non-professional (informal) care dimension. METHODS: Survey on Disabilities, Autonomy and Dependency carried out in Spain in 2020/21 was used to obtain information on disabled individuals with AD and their informal caregivers. Six estimation scenarios were defined as base case, depending on whether the maximum daily informal caregiving time was censored or not, and on the approach chosen for the valuation of informal caregiving time (contingent valuation and replacement time). Another six conservative scenarios were developed using the minimum wage for the estimation of labour losses. RESULTS: Our estimates range from 2,443.6 (willingness to pay, censored informal care time) to 7,164.8 million euros (replacement cost, uncensored informal care time) (base year 2021). Multivariate analyses identified that the degree of dependency of the person suffering from fibromyalgia is the main explanatory variable for both the probability of being employed and the time spent in informal care. Conservative scenarios estimates range from 1,807 to 6,528 million euros. CONCLUSIONS: The high economic impact revealed should help to position a health problem that is relatively unknown in society and for which there are significant research and care gaps to be filled.

The effect of hepatitis C-associated premature deaths on labour productivity losses in Spain: a ten-year analysis.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection causes a substantial economic burden, not only in terms of healthcare costs, but also in labour productivity losses. The main objective of this study is to provide objective and comparable information about the trend in labour productivity losses caused by premature HCV-associated deaths in Spain in recent years (2009-2018). We used nationwide data from several official sources to create a simulation model based on the human capital approach and to estimate the flows in labour productivity losses due to deaths identified in the period considered. Based on a pessimistic scenario, the annual number of deaths due to HCV infections decreased by 19.7% between 2009 and 2018. The years of potential labour productive life lost (YPLPLL) decreased by 38.1%. That reduction led to a decrease in annual labour productivity losses from €236 million in 2009 to €156 million in 2018 (-33.8%). The aggregate HCV-related labour productivity losses between 2009 and 2018 ranged from €1742 million (optimistic scenario) to €1949 million (pessimistic scenario), with an intermediate estimation of €1846 million (moderately optimistic scenario). These results show a substantial reduction in annual deaths, working-age deaths, YPLPLL, and labour productivity losses associated with HCV infection over this period.

Does the inclusion of societal costs change the economic evaluations recommendations? A systematic review for multiple sclerosis disease.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis imposes a heavy burden on the person who suffers from it and on the relatives, due to the caregiving load involved. The objective was to analyse whether the inclusion of social costs in economic evaluations of multiple sclerosis-related interventions changed results and/or conclusions. METHODS: A systematic review was launched using Medline and the Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Registry of Tufts University (2000-2019). Included studies should: (1) be an original study published in a scientific journal, (2) be an economic evaluation of any multiple sclerosis-related intervention, (3) include productivity losses and/or informal care costs (social costs), (4) be written in English, (5) use quality-adjusted life years as outcome, and (6) separate the results according to the perspective applied. RESULTS: Twenty-nine articles were selected, resulting in 67 economic evaluation estimations. Social costs were included in 47% of the studies. Productivity losses were assessed in 90% of the estimations (the human capital approach was the most frequently used method), whereas informal care costs were included in nearly two-thirds of the estimations (applying the opportunity and the replacement-cost methods equally). The inclusion of social costs modified the figures for incremental costs in 15 estimations, leading to a change in the conclusions in 10 estimations, 6 of them changing from not recommended from the healthcare perspective to implemented from the societal perspective. The inclusion of social costs also altered the results from cost-effective to dominant in five additional estimations. CONCLUSIONS: The inclusion of social costs affected the results/conclusions in multiple sclerosis-related interventions, helping to identify the most appropriate interventions for reducing its economic burden from a broader perspective.

The impact of widowhood on wellbeing, health, and care use: A longitudinal analysis across Europe.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate whether becoming widowed had a significant effect on individual's health status as well as on healthcare and non-healthcare resources use, compared to people who remained in a couple in Europe. DATA AND METHOD: It was used the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe from 2004 to 2015. The statistical technique used was genetic matching which analysed the differences in wellbeing, mental health, health status, risk of death, health care resources and long-term care utilization of people who have become widowed, comparing with people who remained married or with a partner. We considered shortterm and medium-term effects. RESULTS: In the short term, those who became widowed had a worse wellbeing and mental health, in addition to a greater probability of receiving formal care and informal care from outside the household. There seems to be a significant effect in the use of formal and informal care from outside the household in the medium term. CONCLUSIONS: The results might help to concentrate a major effort of any policy or strategy, not only in the field of health but also in the provision of long-term care, immediately after the negative shock occurs.

How relevant are social costs in economic evaluations? The case of Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: The main objective of this study was to analyse how the inclusion (exclusion) of social costs can alter the results and conclusions of economic evaluations in the field of Alzheimer's disease interventions. METHODS: We designed a systematic review that included economic evaluations in Alzheimer's disease. The search strategy was launched in 2000 and ran until November 2018. The inclusion criteria were: being an original study published in a scientific journal, being an economic evaluation of any intervention related to Alzheimer's disease, including social costs (informal care costs and/or productivity losses), being written in English, using QALYs as an outcome for the incremental cost-utility analysis, and separating the results according to the perspective applied. RESULTS: It was finally included 27 studies and 55 economic evaluations. Around 11% of economic evaluations changed their main conclusions. More precisely, three of them concluded that the new intervention became cost-effective when the societal perspective was considered, whereas when using just the health care payer perspective, the new intervention did not result in a cost-utility ratio below the threshold considered. Nevertheless, the inclusion of social cost can also influence the results, as 37% of the economic evaluations included became the dominant strategy after including social costs when they were already cost-effective in the health care perspective. CONCLUSIONS: Social costs can substantially modify the results of the economic evaluations. Therefore, taking into account social costs in diseases such as Alzheimer's can be a key element in making decisions about public financing and pricing of health interventions.

Labour productivity loss caused by premature deaths associated with breast cancer: results from Spain over a 10-year period.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women worldwide, and is the most common cause of cancer deaths in them. Given that such disease has a significant impact on middle-aged women, it can result in considerable labour productivity losses. The main objective of this study is therefore to analyse labour productivity losses and years of potential working life lost as a result of premature deaths from breast cancer in Spain over a 10-year period (2005-2014). METHOD: To this end, by combining data on average salary (Salary Structure Survey), occupation (Active Population Survey) and deaths (death registration according to cause of death), a simulation model based on the human capital approach was constructed to estimate productivity losses associated with premature deaths caused by this disease. RESULTS: The results reveal that labour productivity losses in women are estimated to cost 2,137 million euros, as a result of the 22,716 deaths occurring during working age and the 292,848 years of potential productive life lost. This implies that breast cancer is responsible for 10.45% of all estimated female labour productivity losses caused by premature deaths in the reference year. CONCLUSION: The article concludes by highlighting the major economic impact associated with breast cancer deaths and by pointing out future research areas.

Is quality of life different between diabetic and non-diabetic people? The importance of cardiovascular risks.

BACKGROUND: To analyse and compare the impact of cardiovascular risk factors and disease on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in people with and without diabetes living in the community. METHODS: We used data of 1,905 people with diabetes and 19,031 people without diabetes from the last Spanish National Health Survey (years 2011-2012). The HRQoL instrument used was the EuroQol 5D-5L, based on time trade-off scores. Matching methods were used to assess any differences in the HRQoL in people with and without diabetes with the same characteristics (age, gender, education level, and healthy lifestyle), according to cardiovascular risk factors and diseases. Disparities were also analysed for every dimension of HRQoL: mobility, daily activities, personal care, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in time trade-off scores between people with and without diabetes when cardiovascular risk factors or established cardiovascular disease were not present. However, when cardiovascular risk factors were present, the HRQoL score was significantly lower in people with diabetes than in those without. This difference was indeed greater when cardiovascular diseases were present. More precisely, people with diabetes and any of the cardiovascular risk factors, who have not yet developed any cardiovascular disease, report lower HRQoL, 0.046 TTO score points over 1 (7.93 over 100 in the VAS score) compared to those without diabetes, and 0.14 TTO score points of difference (14.61 over 100 in the VAS score) if cardiovascular diseases were present. In fact, when the three risk factors were present in people with diabetes, HRQoL was significantly lower (0.10 TTO score points over 1 and 10.86 points over 100 in VAS score), obesity being the most influential risk factor. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of established cardiovascular disease and/or cardiovascular risk factors, specially obesity, account for impaired quality of life in people with diabetes.

Use of Health Resources and Healthcare Costs associated with Frailty: The FRADEA Study.

BACKGROUND: Frailty is associated with adverse health outcomes, but its association with hospital healthcare costs has not been analyzed. The main objective was to estimate the adjusted annual costs and use of hospital healthcare resources in frail older adults compared to non frail ones. DESIGN: FRADEA Study. Mean follow-up 1044 days (SD 314). SETTING: Albacete city, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: 830 adults ≥70 years. MEASUREMENTS: Age, sex, comorbidity measured with the Charlson index and Fried´s Frailty phenotype as independent variables, and use of hospital resources (hospital admissions, emergency visits, and specialist visits), and hospital healthcare costs as outcome variables. Outcome data were collected from Minimum Data Set of the Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Albacete. The cost base year was 2013. Logistic regression and two-part models were used to analyze the association between frailty and the use of healthcare resources. Generalized Linear Models were applied to estimate the impact of frailty and comorbidity on the healthcare costs. RESULTS: The average cost associated with the use of health resources was 1,922€/year. Frail participants had an average total cost of health resources of 2,476€/year, pre-frail 2,056€/year, and non-frail 1,217€/year. 67% of the total health cost was associated with hospital admission cost, 29% with specialist visits cost and 4% with emergency visits cost. Frailty and comorbidity were the most important factors associated with the use of hospital healthcare resources. Adjusted healthcare costs were 592€/year and 458€/year greater in frail and pre-frail participants respectively, compared to non-frail ones, and having a Charlson index ≥ 3, was associated with an increased costs of 2,289€/year. CONCLUSION: Frailty and comorbidity are meaningful and complementary associated with increased hospital healthcare resources use, and related costs.

Social/economic costs and health-related quality of life in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis in Europe.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the economic burden from a societal perspective and the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in Europe. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of patients with JIA from Germany, Italy, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, and Sweden. Data on demographic characteristics, healthcare resource utilization, informal care, labor productivity losses, and HRQOL were collected from the questionnaires completed by patients or their caregivers. HRQOL was measured with the EuroQol 5-domain (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 162 patients (67 Germany, 34 Sweden, 33 Italy, 23 United Kingdom, 4 France, and 1 Bulgaria) completed the questionnaire. Excluding Bulgarian results, due to small sample size, country-specific annual health care costs ranged from €18,913 to €36,396 (reference year: 2012). Estimated direct healthcare costs ranged from €11,068 to €22,138; direct non-healthcare costs ranged from €7837 to €14,155 and labor productivity losses ranged from €0 to €8715. Costs are also shown to differ between children and adults. The mean EQ-5D index score for JIA patients was estimated at between 0.44 and 0.88, and the mean EQ-5D visual analogue scale score was estimated at between 62 and 79. CONCLUSIONS: JIA patients incur considerable societal costs and experience substantial deterioration in HRQOL in some countries. Compared with previous studies, our results show a remarkable increase in annual healthcare costs for JIA patients. Reasons for the increase are the inclusion of non-professional caregiver costs, a wider use of biologics, and longer hospital stays.

[Indirect cost assessment in health evaluation]. / Valoración de costes indirectos en la evaluación sanitaria.

Whether the indirect costs caused by a specific disease should be included in economic analysis of health issues is a continuous matter of study which is far from solved. Throughout the course of this paper, we will try to point out the reasons of recommending their inclusion in economic health analysis and the main techniques for their calculation. Two practical examples about the economic impact caused in our society by some diseases will be analyzed. HIV/AIDS case has been chosen for its social relevance. Migraine was chosen for being a disease which in term of direct costs represents a small burden of illness for the health sector. But, if we have into account the indirect costs, the impact of the whole problems related to the migraine should be reconsidered.

[Cost effective medicine and evidence based medicine: impact on clinical decision making]. / Medicina coste-efectiva y medicina basada en la evidencia: su impacto en el proceso de decisiones clínicas.

The following paper analyses the relationship between cost-effective medicine and evidence-based medicine and their complementary aspects. Clear concepts and methods are pointed out. Useful examples of both approaches for daily clinical practice are given. Individual and social perspectives are presented including their impact on clinical decision making.