A Framework to Characterize the Costs of Delayed Diagnoses

Area of Science:

• Health Economics
• Diagnostic Accuracy
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Delayed diagnoses impose substantial emotional and financial burdens on patients, families, and the healthcare system.
• The true economic impact of diagnostic delays remains incompletely understood.
• Existing analyses inadequately characterize the multifaceted costs associated with delayed diagnoses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive framework for characterizing the costs of delayed diagnoses.
• To provide a tool for diverse stakeholders to identify and estimate diagnostic delay costs.
• To improve the understanding and measurement of economic impacts from diagnostic delays.

Main Methods:

• A three-phase research process was employed, involving expert consultation, qualitative data gathering, and framework refinement.
• An expert advisory group defined key conditions and parameters for cost assessment.
• Stakeholder input and clinical scenario testing were integrated to validate the framework.

Main Results:

• A multilevel framework was established, encompassing five cost domains: direct, indirect, opportunity, long-term disability, and intangible costs.
• Key challenges in cost measurement include data limitations, defining delay duration, and variability across healthcare systems.
• Intangible costs, while crucial for patients, present significant measurement difficulties.

Conclusions:

• The developed framework enables comprehensive identification, organization, and estimation of total delayed diagnosis costs.
• Its flexibility allows for tailored cost estimations based on user objectives and data availability.
• Further development of data sources is essential for robust characterization of costs linked to diagnostic delays.