OBJECTIVE To develop estimates of the direct and indirect costs of smoking for California in 1999. METHODS A prevalence based approach was used to estimate the annual costs of smoking. Econometric models were used to estimate the smoking attributable fraction (SAF) for direct costs (hospitalisations, ambulatory care, prescription drugs, home health care, and nursing home services) and indirec...

This study estimates the treated prevalence of schizophrenia and the annual costs associated with the illness in Korea in 2005, from a societal perspective. Annual direct healthcare costs associated with schizophrenia were estimated from National Health Insurance and Medical Aid records. Annual direct non-healthcare costs were estimated for incarceration, transport, community mental health cent...

BACKGROUND Preterm birth is a major risk factor for morbidity and mortality among infants worldwide, and imposes considerable burden on health, education and social services, as well as on families and caregivers. Morbidity and mortality resulting from preterm birth is highest among early (< 28 weeks gestational age) and moderate (28-32 weeks) preterm infants, relative to late preterm infants (...

INTRODUCTION Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a highly debilitating disease despite its low prevalence. The economic burden associated with SCZ is substantial and mainly attributed to productivity loss. To improve the understanding of economic burden of SCZ in the low- and middle-income country regions, we aimed to determine the economic burden of SCZ in Malaysia. METHODS A retrospective study was cond...

Stroke is a costly disease from human, family and societal perspectives. Starting from human costs, stroke is a leading cause of death and disability. Annually, about 16 million first-ever strokes occur in the world, causing a total of 5.7 million deaths [1]. As a consequence, stroke ranks as the second cause of death in the world population after ischaemic heart disease (the third only if neop...

Cirrhosis is a worldwide problem that is associated with a substantial economic burden. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and alcoholic liver disease are the main causes of cirrhosis, but cost-effective preventive strategies are only available for HBV infection. Treatment algorithms for HBV infection and HCV infection are numerous and may be economically adva...

BACKGROUND Coeliac disease is a common, autoimmune disorder, for which the only treatment is lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet. This study evaluates the economic burden of adhering to a gluten-free diet. METHODS A market basket of products identified by name brand, weight or package size for both regular wheat-based products and gluten-free counterparts was developed. The differences i...

BACKGROUND Assessment and appraisal of new medical technologies require a balance between the interests of different stakeholders. Final decision should take into account the societal value of new therapies. OBJECTIVE This perspective paper discusses the socio-economic burden of disease as a specific reimbursement decision-making criterion and calls for the inclusion of it as a counterbalance...

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes is associated with acute and chronic complications and poses a large economic, social, and medical burden on patients and their families as well as society. OBJECTIVE This study aims to evaluate the direct economic burden of type 2 diabetes in China. DATA SOURCE systematic review on cost of illness, health care costs, direct service costs, drug costs, and health e...