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Increasing healthcare costs: can we influence the costs of glaucoma care?

Marc Töteberg-Harms1, Michael S Berlin, Frances Meier-Gibbons

  • 1aDepartment of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland bGlaucoma Institute of Beverly Hills, West Hollywood cUniversity of California Los Angeles Stein Eye Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA dEye Center Rapperswil, Rapperswil, Switzerland.

Current Opinion in Ophthalmology
|November 10, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Improving patient adherence to glaucoma treatment is key to controlling rising healthcare costs. Further research comparing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies can help reduce expenses for this irreversible blindness condition.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Health Economics

Background:

  • Global healthcare costs are escalating, influenced by patient and physician factors.
  • Glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness, necessitates chronic treatment with often low patient adherence.
  • Treatment costs for glaucoma are a significant concern for patients and healthcare systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify strategies for controlling the rising costs associated with glaucoma care.
  • To review existing literature on factors influencing glaucoma treatment expenses.
  • To explore potential solutions for cost reduction in managing glaucoma.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of studies related to glaucoma care costs.
  • Categorization of studies into diagnostic costs, treatment comparisons, patient factors, and general cost aspects.
  • Analysis of theoretical models and calculations regarding healthcare expenses.

Main Results:

  • Studies were categorized into diagnostic costs, treatment comparisons (drugs, laser, surgery), patient adherence, and theoretical cost models.
  • Patient-related factors, particularly adherence, significantly impact treatment costs.
  • Direct cost comparisons between different treatment modalities were examined.

Conclusions:

  • Improving patient adherence to glaucoma treatment is a critical factor in reducing healthcare costs.
  • Cross-country cost comparisons are challenging due to diverse healthcare systems and cultural factors.
  • Further research, including theoretical models and patient studies, is needed to optimize diagnostic and therapeutic scenarios for cost reduction.
Abstract

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