The economic burden of tuberculosis in Denmark 1998-2010. Cost analysis in patients and their spouses

Andreas Fløe, Ole Hilberg, Christian Wejse, Anders Løkke, Rikke Ibsen, Jakob Kjellberg, Poul Jennum

14 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the economic burden of tuberculosis (TB) in Denmark,

METHODS: 8,433 Danish TB-patients (1998-2010) were matched with 33,707 controls by age, gender, civil status and geography. Health-related costs (health system contacts and -procedures, medications) and socio-economic parameters (foregone earnings and social transfer expenses) were calculated on data from national databases. The same information was obtained for 3,485 spouses of TB-patients, and 17,403 controls.

RESULTS: Health-related costs were higher for cases throughout the period. Before diagnosis, cases posed € 1,180 more health costs per year than controls. Excess health costs in the 2 years around diagnosing and treating TB were € 10,509. Cases received an average excess public transfer income of € 3,345 before vs. € 3,121 after diagnosis. Average employment income deficiency was € 11,635 before vs. € 13,885 after diagnosis, but the increasing difference showed a linear shape throughout the period. Spouses also had lower income, more social transfer, and posed higher health-related costs than matched controls.

CONCLUSION: We estimate the direct costs per TB patient to be €10,509. TB patients and their households are characterized by increasingly lower employment income, lower employment rate, and higher dependency on public transfer, but the socio/economic deterioration is rather a risk factor for TB than a direct consequence of the disease.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftInternational journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
Vol/bind32
Sider (fra-til)183-90
Antal sider8
ISSN1201-9712
DOI
StatusUdgivet - mar. 2015

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