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[Cost of childhood asthma in Spain: a cost evaluation model based on the prevalence]
A J Blasco Bravo1, E G Pérez-Yarza, P Lázaro y de Mercado
1Técnicas Avanzadas de Investigación en Servicios de Salud (TAISS), Madrid, Spain. ablasco@taiss.com
Insights
The annual cost of childhood asthma in Spain exceeds 532 million euros, varying significantly with disease severity. Healthcare expenses form the bulk of these costs, but indirect expenses like caregiver time are also substantial.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Health Economics
- Public Health
Context:
- Asthma is the most prevalent chronic childhood illness, impacting quality of life and incurring significant costs.
- The economic burden of pediatric asthma management in Spain was previously unquantified.
Purpose:
- To estimate the total cost of managing pediatric asthma in Spain.
- To analyze cost variations based on asthma severity.
Summary:
- A cost assessment model estimated the 2008 cost of pediatric asthma in Spain at approximately 532 million euros (range: 392–693 million).
- Direct healthcare costs accounted for 60% of the total, while indirect costs (carer time) represented 40%.
- The average annual cost per child ranged from 403 euros (mild asthma) to 5,380 euros (severe asthma).
Impact:
- This study highlights the substantial economic impact of pediatric asthma in Spain.
- Findings underscore the need for effective asthma management strategies to mitigate healthcare and indirect costs.
- Cost variations by severity emphasize the importance of tailored treatment approaches.
Introduction:
Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood, reduces the quality of life of children and their families, and produces high social and health care costs. In Spain, the cost of managing paediatric asthma is unknown.
Objective:
To estimate the cost of managing paediatric asthma in Spain and to examine its variability depending on asthma severity.
Patients And Methods:
The cost of asthma in children under 16 years in 2008 was estimated by building a costs assessment model including the factors that influence the cost of asthma in children: prevalence, distribution of disease severity, age, frequency of resources use depending on severity, and the cost of each resource. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the underlying uncertainty depending on the variability of the estimators of resource use, the unit cost of each resource, and the prevalence.
Results:
According to the model, the total cost of paediatric asthma in Spain is around 532 million euros, with a range of 392 to 693 million euros. Direct costs (health care costs) represent 60% of the total costs, and indirect costs (carer time), 40%. The mean annual cost per child with asthma is 1,149 euros, ranging from 403 euros for the mildest category of the disease to 5,380 euros for the most severe.
Conclusions:
The cost of paediatric asthma in Spain is very high and depends on disease severity. Although the most important costs are for the health care system, indirect costs are not negligible.
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