Stigande kostnader för hematologisk vård

2016-07-23 10:30:00

Intressant studie publicerad i Lancet - läs bifogad information från EHA

Economic Burden of Blood Disorders in EU is €23 billion

The economic burden of blood disorders across the European Union, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland amounts to €23 billion per year. This is the conclusion of two papers published in The Lancet Haematology by the Health Economics Research Centre of the University of Oxford. Blood disorders represent a myriad of diseases including anemias, coagulation disorders (e.g. thrombosis), bleeding disorders (e.g. hemophilia) and blood cancers (e.g. leukemia, multiple myeloma, lymphoma). In Europe, blood disorders affect around 80 million people. Regrettably, about 110,000 of them die each year as a direct result of their illness.

The total cost of blood disorders consists of healthcare expenditure (€15.6 billion), productivity loss due to illness and mortality (€5.6 billion), and the costs of informal care (€1.6 billion). The latter amount is based on hours of unpaid care provided to people suffering from blood disorders, such as by family or friends. 28% of healthcare costs pertain to medications (€4.3 billion). The expectation is that the economic burden of blood disorders will rise in the coming years due to a combination of an aging population and higher prices for new drug treatments. To counteract this trend, a more advanced understanding of blood disorders is dearly needed together with more effective treatment plans and improved diagnostics.

Both studies were funded by the European Hematology Association (EHA). EHA had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, and data interpretation. The results will help policy makers in their decision-making with regard to future healthcare research budgets. This long awaited analysis stresses the need for additional funding of fundamental, translational and clinical research in all aspects of hematology.

REFERENCES:

1. Burns R, Luengo-Fernandez R, Sullivan R, Leal J. Economic burden of malignant blood disorders across Europe: a population-based cost analysis. Lancet Haematol online, e-pub 21 July 2016

2. Luengo-Fernandez R, Burns R, Leal J. Economic burden of non-malignant blood disorders across Europe: a population-based cost analysis. Lancet Haematol online, e-pub 21 July 2016

3. Green T, Bron D, Chomienne C, Duyvené de Wit T, de Haas F, Engert A, Hagenbeek A, Jäger U, MacIntyre E, Muckenthaler M, Smand C, Sonneveld P. Costs of haematological disease high and Rising. Lancet Haematol online, e-pub 21 July 2016