Societal costs of severe asthma in Sweden

• Background: Severe asthma is a disabling and costly disease, often poorly controlled despite high-dosage controller medications.Aims: We estimated societal costs from an adult severe asthma cohort, derived from a large-scale population survey in northern Sweden.Methods: Severe asthma was defined by US SARP criteria, and high-dosage inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) were defined by GINA 2014 criteria. The study sample was identified from general population cohorts examined within the OLIN (Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden) studies (n=1,006). Patient reported asthma-related direct (outpatient care, medicines, hospitalisations) and indirect (sick leave, early retirement) resource consumption were collected by quarterly pre-defined telephone interviews during one year. Unit costs from 2017 were applied.Results: In total, 32 patients with severe asthma (mean age 60.7y, 13 patients >65) were included. The mean annual total cost per patient was approximately €6,300. Two thirds of the costs (63%) was indirect costs (approximately €4,000). The main cost drivers in direct costs were hospitalisations and drugs: approximately €1,000 and €700, respectively. The main cost driver of indirect costs was productivity loss due to early retirement: €3,400. Patients who had received regular oral corticosteroid (OCS) treatment had greater costs compared with those without regular OCS treatment. In comparison with a previous Swedish study based on a sample of all asthmatics from the general population, a greater mean annual total cost per patient was observed.Conclusions: In this severe asthma population in Sweden, societal costs were substantial. The results indicate a need for improved treatment regimens for patients with severe asthma.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Lungmedicin och allergi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Respiratory Medicine and Allergy (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

art (subject category)