You are here

Article Text

Article menu
Download PDFPDF
World views
Direct costs of glaucoma and severity of the disease: a multinational long term study of resource utilisation in Europe
  1. C E Traverso1,
  2. J G Walt2,
  3. S P Kelly3,
  4. A H Hommer4,
  5. A M Bron5,
  6. P Denis6,
  7. J-P Nordmann7,
  8. J-P Renard8,
  9. A Bayer9,
  10. F Grehn10,
  11. N Pfeiffer11,
  12. C Cedrone12,
  13. S Gandolfi13,
  14. N Orzalesi14,
  15. C Nucci12,
  16. L Rossetti14,
  17. A Azuara-Blanco15,
  18. A Bagnis1,
  19. R Hitchings16,
  20. J F Salmon17,
  21. G Bricola1,
  22. P M Buchholz18,
  23. S V Kotak19,
  24. L M Katz19,
  25. L R Siegartel19,
  26. J J Doyle19
  1. 1Clinica Oculistica, DiNOG, Azienda Ospedale Università San Martino, Genoa, Italy
  2. 2Allergan, Inc, Irvine, CA, USA
  3. 3Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust, Bolton, UK
  4. 4Hera Hospital, Vienna, Austria
  5. 5Universite de Dijon, Dijon, France
  6. 6Edouard Herriot Hôpital, Lyon, France
  7. 7Hôpital des Quinze-Vingts, Paris, France
  8. 8Hôpital du Val de Grâce, Paris, France
  9. 9Augenarzt, Weilheim, Germany
  10. 10Department of Ophthalmology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
  11. 11Johannes Gutenberg Universität, Mainz, Germany
  12. 12Università degli Studi di Roma, Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
  13. 13University Eye Clinic, Parma, Italy
  14. 14Ospedale San Paolo, Milan, Italy
  15. 15Grampian University Hospitals NHS Trust, Aberdeen, UK
  16. 16Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK
  17. 17Oxford Eye Hospital, Oxford, UK
  18. 18Allergan, Inc, Ettlingen, Germany
  19. 19The Analytica Group, Inc, New York, NY, USA
  1. Correspondence to: Professor Carlo E Traverso Glaucoma Service, Clinica Oculistica DiNOG, Azienda Ospedale Università San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy; mc8620mclink.it

Abstract

Background: Resource utilisation and direct costs associated with glaucoma progression in Europe are unknown. As population progressively ages, the economic impact of the disease will increase.

Methods: From a total of 1655 consecutive cases, the records of 194 patients were selected and stratified by disease severity. Record selection was based on diagnoses of primary open angle glaucoma, glaucoma suspect, ocular hypertension, or normal tension glaucoma; 5 years minimum follow up were required. Glaucoma severity was assessed using a six stage glaucoma staging system based on static threshold visual field parameters. Resource utilisation data were abstracted from the charts and unit costs were applied to estimate direct costs to the payer. Resource utilisation and estimated direct cost of treatment, per person year, were calculated.

Results: A statistically significant increasing linear trend (p = 0.018) in direct cost as disease severity worsened was demonstrated. The direct cost of treatment increased by an estimated €86 for each incremental step ranging from €455 per person year for stage 0 to €969 per person year for stage 4 disease. Medication costs ranged from 42% to 56% of total direct cost for all stages of disease.

Conclusions: These results demonstrate for the first time in Europe that resource utilisation and direct medical costs of glaucoma management increase with worsening disease severity. Based on these findings, managing glaucoma and effectively delaying disease progression would be expected to significantly reduce the economic burden of this disease. These data are relevant to general practitioners and healthcare administrators who have a direct influence on the distribution of resources.

  • CLV, corrected loss variance
  • CPSD, corrected pattern standard deviation
  • GSS, glaucoma staging system
  • IOP, intraocular pressure
  • LV, loss variance
  • MD, mean defect or mean deviation
  • POAG, primary open angle glaucoma
  • PSD, pattern standard deviation
  • glaucoma
  • glaucoma management
  • cost of glaucoma management
  • CLV, corrected loss variance
  • CPSD, corrected pattern standard deviation
  • GSS, glaucoma staging system
  • IOP, intraocular pressure
  • LV, loss variance
  • MD, mean defect or mean deviation
  • POAG, primary open angle glaucoma
  • PSD, pattern standard deviation
  • glaucoma
  • glaucoma management
  • cost of glaucoma management

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjo.2005.067355

Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

    View Full Text

    Footnotes

    • Competing interests: Allergan provided unrestricted research grants to the departments where the following authors are based: A Azuara-Blanco, A Bayer, A M Bron, C Cedrone, P Denis, S Gandolfi, F Grehn, R Hitchings, A H Hommer, S P Kelly, J-P Nordmann, C Nucci, N Orzalesi, N Pfeiffer, J-P Renard, L Rossetti, J F Salmon, and C E Traverso. J G Walt and P M Buchholz are employees of Allergan. S V Kotak, L M Katz, L R Siegartel, and J J Doyle’s organisation, the Analytica Group, received funding from Allergan for their involvement in this study. J G Walt and P M Buchhols are employees of Allergan, Inc, and were involved in the study design, data interpretation, and writing of this manuscript.

    Linked Articles

    • BJO at a glance
      BJO at a glance
      Creig Hoyt
      British Journal of Ophthalmology 2005; 89 1231-1231 Published Online First: 16 Sep 2005. doi: 10.1136/bjo.2005.bjoct05at%20a%20glance