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Health care costs associated with chronic hepatitis B
M Metcalf1, N Brown, S Peterson
1Glaxo Wellcome Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-3398, USA. mam44221@glaxo.com
Summary
Patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) incur significantly higher healthcare costs compared to those without CHB. These increased costs are evident around diagnosis and persist long-term, impacting overall healthcare expenditure.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Health Economics
- Public Health
Background:
- Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a significant global health concern.
- Understanding the economic burden of CHB is crucial for resource allocation and healthcare policy.
- Previous studies have not comprehensively assessed the long-term healthcare costs associated with CHB.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the long-term healthcare costs of patients with CHB to those without CHB.
- To identify specific cost categories contributing to the economic burden of CHB.
- To analyze cost differences during prediagnosis, peridiagnosis, and postdiagnosis periods.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of healthcare costs from an HMO database.
- Matching of 88 CHB patients with 342 control patients without CHB.
- Cost data categorized and analyzed as ratios of CHB patients to control patients over a six-year study period.
Main Results:
- Patients with CHB incurred 3.3 times higher costs during the peridiagnosis period (seven months around the first diagnostic marker).
- Postdiagnosis, CHB patients had 2.9 times higher monthly costs compared to controls.
- Significantly higher peridiagnosis costs were observed in laboratory, radiology, office visits, and pharmacy for CHB patients.
Conclusions:
- CHB is associated with substantially higher healthcare expenditures compared to non-CHB patients.
- The economic burden of CHB is significant both around the time of diagnosis and in the long term.
- Healthcare systems should consider the substantial financial implications of managing chronic hepatitis B.