Andreas Fløe1, Ole Hilberg2, Christian Wejse3, Anders Løkke2, Rikke Ibsen4, Jakob Kjellberg5, Poul Jennum6. 1. Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. Electronic address: andrniel@rm.dk. 2. Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. 3. Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. 4. iTracks, Klosterport 4E, 4, Aarhus, Denmark. 5. Danish Institute for Local and Regional Government Research, Copenhagen, Denmark. 6. Danish Center for Sleep Medicine, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Center for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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.
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.