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The economic burden of severe asthma in children: a comprehensive study
Gizem Pamuk1, Muriel Le Bourgeois1, Rola Abou Taam1
1Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy, AP-HP Hôpital Universitaire Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France.
Insights
The economic burden of severe asthma (SA) in children is substantial for French healthcare. Costs are significantly higher for children with SA, particularly those requiring biologic treatments like omalizumab.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Health Economics
- Pharmacoeconomics
Background:
- Severe asthma (SA) in children presents a significant, yet poorly quantified, economic challenge.
- Understanding the healthcare costs associated with SA is crucial for resource allocation and policy-making in national health systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the direct and indirect healthcare expenditures associated with severe asthma in children for the French national health insurance (NHI).
- To quantify the economic burden of SA, differentiating between children requiring biologic therapies and those who do not.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 74 children (6-18 years) with physician-confirmed SA or non-SA (NSA) was identified.
- Direct and indirect costs over six months were assessed using a physician-guided parental questionnaire and medical record verification.
- Costs were calculated per child for the French NHI.
Main Results:
- The global cost of SA was €3,982 per child over six months, with medication accounting for 65% of direct costs.
- Children with SA incurred costs 10 times higher than those with NSA (€3,982 vs. €363.2).
- Children with SA requiring omalizumab had substantially higher costs (€6,716) compared to those with SA not on omalizumab (€1,669) and NSA patients.
Conclusions:
- The economic burden of severe asthma in children on the French NHI is substantial.
- This burden is disproportionately driven by the most severe cases requiring advanced biologic treatments such as omalizumab.
- Targeted interventions and cost-effective management strategies for severe pediatric asthma are essential.
Objective:
The economic burden of severe asthma (SA) in children is poorly described. We aimed to determine the healthcare costs of SA in children for the French national health insurance (NHI).
Methods:
Children (6-18 years of age) with physician-confirmed diagnoses of SA or non-SA (NSA) were identified. Direct and indirect expenditures related to asthma and associated co-morbidities in the previous six months were determined, based on a physician-guided parental questionnaire and confirmed by medical records. The costs for the French NHI were assessed per child over a six month period.
Results:
Data from 74 children, including 48 with SA (22 requiring omalizumab) and 26 with NSA, were analyzed. The global cost of SA was €3,982 per child over a six-month period, including €3,821 direct costs and €161.9 indirect costs. The global cost was €6,716 (4,220) for those requiring omalizumab vs. €1,669 (3,108) for those who did not (p < 0.01). For children with SA, 65% of direct costs were attributed to medication. Among those on omalizumab, such treatment accounted for 93% of medication costs. The global cost was 10 times higher for children with SA than those with NSA (€3,982 (4,422) vs. €363.2 (352.6), p < 0.01), and 20 times higher for children with SA on omalizumab than those with NSA (p < 0.01).
Conclusion:
The economic burden of SA in children for the French NHI is substantial and mainly driven by the most severe children requiring biologics.
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