The economic burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from 2004 to 2013

This study examines the epidemiology and economic impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at a nationwide level in South Korea.

This retrospective analysis used the societal cost-of-illness framework, consisting of direct medical costs, direct non-medical costs, and indirect costs. In order to analyze the societal costs of patients with COPD, this study used a data mining and a macro-costing method on data from a South Korean national-level health survey and a national health insurance claims database from 2004-2013.

The total societal cost of COPD in 2013 was estimated to be $439.9 million for 1,419,914 patients. The direct medical cost for COPD was $214.3 million, which included a hospitalization cost of $96.3 million, an outpatient cost of $76.4 million, and a pharmaceutical cost of $41.6 million. The direct non-medical cost was estimated at $43.5 million. The indirect overall cost associated with the morbidity and mortality of COPD was $182.2 million in 2013.

This study showed that COPD has a major effect on healthcare costs, particularly direct medical costs. Thus, appropriate long-term interventions are recommended to lower the economic burden of COPD in South Korea.