Monika Schaffner1, Ursula Rochau1, Nikolai Mühlberger1, Annette Conrads-Frank1, Vjollca Qerimi Rushaj1,2, Gaby Sroczynski1, Eftychia Koukkou3, Betina Heinsbaek Thuesen4, Henry Völzke5, Wilhelm Oberaigner1, Uwe Siebert1,6,7. 1. Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, Institute of Public Health, Medical Decision Making and Health Technology Assessment, UMIT - University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology, Hall i.T., Austria. 2. Faculty of Pharmacy, School of PhD Studies, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, Macedonia. 3. General Hospital 'Elena Venizelou', Athens, Greece. 4. Centre for Clinical Research and Prevention, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark. 5. Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. 6. Center for Health Decision Science, Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 7. Department of Radiology, Institute for Technology Assessment, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: More than 30% of the German population suffers from mild to moderate iodine deficiency causing goiter and other iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs). The economic burden of iodine deficiency is still unclear. We aimed to assess costs for prevention, monitoring and treatment of IDDs in Germany. DESIGN: We performed a comprehensive cost analysis. METHODS: We assessed direct medical costs and direct non-medical costs for inpatient and outpatient care of IDDs and costs for productivity loss due to the absence of work in 2018. Additionally, we calculated total costs for an IDD prevention program comprising universal salt iodization (USI). We performed threshold analyses projecting how many cases of IDDs or related treatments would need to be avoided for USI to be cost-saving. RESULTS: Annual average costs per case in the year of diagnosis were € 211 for goiter/thyroid nodules; € 308 for hyperthyroidism; and € 274 for hypothyroidism. Average one-time costs for thyroidectomy were € 4184 and € 3118 for radioiodine therapy. Average costs for one case of spontaneous abortion were € 916. Annual costs of intellectual disability were € 14,202. In the German population, total annual costs for USI would amount to 8 million Euro. To be cost-saving, USI would need to prevent, for example, 37,900 cases of goiter/thyroid nodules. CONCLUSION: USI potentially saves costs, if a minimum amount of IDDs per year could be avoided. In order to recommend the implementation of USI, a full health-economic evaluation including a comprehensive benefit-harm assessment is needed.
OBJECTIVE: More than 30% of the German population suffers from mild to moderate iodine deficiency causing goiter and other iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs). The economic burden of iodine deficiency is still unclear. We aimed to assess costs for prevention, monitoring and treatment of IDDs in Germany. DESIGN: We performed a comprehensive cost analysis. METHODS: We assessed direct medical costs and direct non-medical costs for inpatient and outpatient care of IDDs and costs for productivity loss due to the absence of work in 2018. Additionally, we calculated total costs for an IDD prevention program comprising universal salt iodization (USI). We performed threshold analyses projecting how many cases of IDDs or related treatments would need to be avoided for USI to be cost-saving. RESULTS: Annual average costs per case in the year of diagnosis were € 211 for goiter/thyroid nodules; € 308 for hyperthyroidism; and € 274 for hypothyroidism. Average one-time costs for thyroidectomy were € 4184 and € 3118 for radioiodine therapy. Average costs for one case of spontaneous abortion were € 916. Annual costs of intellectual disability were € 14,202. In the German population, total annual costs for USI would amount to 8 million Euro. To be cost-saving, USI would need to prevent, for example, 37,900 cases of goiter/thyroid nodules. CONCLUSION: USI potentially saves costs, if a minimum amount of IDDs per year could be avoided. In order to recommend the implementation of USI, a full health-economic evaluation including a comprehensive benefit-harm assessment is needed.
Authors: Michael F Drummond; J Sanford Schwartz; Bengt Jönsson; Bryan R Luce; Peter J Neumann; Uwe Siebert; Sean D Sullivan Journal: Int J Technol Assess Health Care Date: 2008 Impact factor: 2.188
Authors: Anders Gustavsson; Mikael Svensson; Frank Jacobi; Christer Allgulander; Jordi Alonso; Ettore Beghi; Richard Dodel; Mattias Ekman; Carlo Faravelli; Laura Fratiglioni; Brenda Gannon; David Hilton Jones; Poul Jennum; Albena Jordanova; Linus Jönsson; Korinna Karampampa; Martin Knapp; Gisela Kobelt; Tobias Kurth; Roselind Lieb; Mattias Linde; Christina Ljungcrantz; Andreas Maercker; Beatrice Melin; Massimo Moscarelli; Amir Musayev; Fiona Norwood; Martin Preisig; Maura Pugliatti; Juergen Rehm; Luis Salvador-Carulla; Brigitte Schlehofer; Roland Simon; Hans-Christoph Steinhausen; Lars Jacob Stovner; Jean-Michel Vallat; Peter Van den Bergh; Peter Van den Bergh; Jim van Os; Pieter Vos; Weili Xu; Hans-Ulrich Wittchen; Bengt Jönsson; Jes Olesen Journal: Eur Neuropsychopharmacol Date: 2011-09-15 Impact factor: 4.600
Authors: Anne Krejbjerg; Lena Bjergved; Inge Bülow Pedersen; Allan Carlé; Torben Jørgensen; Hans Perrild; Lars Ovesen; Lone Banke Rasmussen; Nils Knudsen; Peter Laurberg Journal: Eur J Endocrinol Date: 2014-03-08 Impact factor: 6.664
Authors: Gillian D Sanders; Peter J Neumann; Anirban Basu; Dan W Brock; David Feeny; Murray Krahn; Karen M Kuntz; David O Meltzer; Douglas K Owens; Lisa A Prosser; Joshua A Salomon; Mark J Sculpher; Thomas A Trikalinos; Louise B Russell; Joanna E Siegel; Theodore G Ganiats Journal: JAMA Date: 2016-09-13 Impact factor: 56.272
Authors: Manuela Petersen; Simone A Schenke; Michael Zimny; Rainer Görges; Michael Grunert; Daniel Groener; Philipp Seifert; Peter E Stömmer; Michael C Kreissl; Alexander R Stahl Journal: J Clin Med Date: 2022-05-01 Impact factor: 4.964