TY - JOUR

T1 - Social/economic costs and quality of life in patients with haemophilia in Europe

AU - BURQOL-RD Research Network

AU - Cavazza, Marianna

AU - Kodra, Yllka

AU - Armeni, Patrizio

AU - De Santis, Marta

AU - López-Bastida, Julio

AU - Linertová, Renata

AU - Oliva-Moreno, Juan

AU - Serrano-Aguilar, Pedro

AU - Posada-de-la-Paz, Manuel

AU - Taruscio, Domenica

AU - Schieppati, Arrigo

AU - Iskrov, Georgi

AU - Gulácsi, László

AU - von der Schulenburg, Johann Matthias Graf

AU - Kanavos, Panos

AU - Chevreul, Karine

AU - Persson, Ulf

AU - Fattore, Giovanni

N1 - Funding Information: Supported by the Social/Economic Burden and Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Rare Diseases in Europe Project, which received funding from the European Union within the framework of the Health Programme (grant A101205). The Executive Agency of the European Union is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein.

PY - 2016/4

Y1 - 2016/4

N2 - 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 haemophilia in Europe. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of patients with haemophilia from Bulgaria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain Sweden and the UK. Data on demographic characteristics, health resource utilisation, informal care, loss of labour productivity and HRQOL were collected from the questionnaires completed by patients or their caregivers. HRQOL was measured with the EuroQol 5-domain (EQ-5D) questionnaire. The costs have been estimated from a societal perspective adopting a bottom-up approach. Results: A total of 401 questionnaires were included in the study, of which 339 were collected from patients with haemophilia and 62 from caregivers. The lowest average annual cost per person was reported in Bulgaria (€6,660) and the highest in Germany (€194,490). Our results demonstrate both a large difference from country to country in the average annual cost per patient in 2012 and the driving role of drugs in costs. Drugs represent nearly 90 % of direct healthcare costs in a majority of the countries analysed (Hungary, Italy, Spain and Germany). In Bulgaria, France and Sweden, however, healthcare services (visits, tests and hospitalisations) prevail. Costs are also shown to differ between children and adults. The mean EQ-5D index score for adult patients was 0.69 and mean EQ-5D VAS was 66.6. The mean EQ-5D index score for carers was 0.87 and mean EQ-5D VAS was 75.5. In the disability score, 60 % showed no disability and measuring caregiver burden with the Zarit Index produced an overall mean score of 25.3. Conclusion: We have shown that haemophilia is associated with a substantial economic burden and impaired HRQOL. Studies on cost of illness and HRQOL are important for haemophilia as the future of this disease is likely to change with the development of new innovative treatments. The introduction of these treatments will most likely impact future costs related to haemophilia.

AB - 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 haemophilia in Europe. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of patients with haemophilia from Bulgaria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain Sweden and the UK. Data on demographic characteristics, health resource utilisation, informal care, loss of labour productivity and HRQOL were collected from the questionnaires completed by patients or their caregivers. HRQOL was measured with the EuroQol 5-domain (EQ-5D) questionnaire. The costs have been estimated from a societal perspective adopting a bottom-up approach. Results: A total of 401 questionnaires were included in the study, of which 339 were collected from patients with haemophilia and 62 from caregivers. The lowest average annual cost per person was reported in Bulgaria (€6,660) and the highest in Germany (€194,490). Our results demonstrate both a large difference from country to country in the average annual cost per patient in 2012 and the driving role of drugs in costs. Drugs represent nearly 90 % of direct healthcare costs in a majority of the countries analysed (Hungary, Italy, Spain and Germany). In Bulgaria, France and Sweden, however, healthcare services (visits, tests and hospitalisations) prevail. Costs are also shown to differ between children and adults. The mean EQ-5D index score for adult patients was 0.69 and mean EQ-5D VAS was 66.6. The mean EQ-5D index score for carers was 0.87 and mean EQ-5D VAS was 75.5. In the disability score, 60 % showed no disability and measuring caregiver burden with the Zarit Index produced an overall mean score of 25.3. Conclusion: We have shown that haemophilia is associated with a substantial economic burden and impaired HRQOL. Studies on cost of illness and HRQOL are important for haemophilia as the future of this disease is likely to change with the development of new innovative treatments. The introduction of these treatments will most likely impact future costs related to haemophilia.

KW - Haemophilia

KW - Health related quality of life

KW - Rare diseases

KW - Social burden

KW - Societal costs

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84962724336&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s10198-016-0785-2

DO - 10.1007/s10198-016-0785-2

M3 - Article

C2 - 27048374

AN - SCOPUS:84962724336

VL - 17

SP - 53

EP - 65

JO - European Journal of Health Economics

JF - European Journal of Health Economics

SN - 1618-7598

ER -