This is a study of the economic costs of PSP and MSA in France, Germany, and the UK, looking at 742 people — 352 with PSP and 390 with MSA — over a 6-month time period. At the time of the study, the average disease duration was about 4 years. Included are “service costs,” which are the costs associated with seeing an MD or receiving tests, medication, treatment, or equipment, and “unpaid care costs,” which is the value of care provided by family and friends.
The authors state: “Measures of costs for a representative sample of patients allow us to determine relationships between care inputs and patient needs, assess the cost-effectiveness of specific treatments and highlight the impact that these conditions have on society as a whole.”
They found:
* “Unpaid care accounted for 68-76%” of the total costs.
* “Formal and unpaid costs were significantly higher the more severe the illness, as indicated by the Parkinson’s Plus Symptom scale.” And: “[Costs] increase with severity in each country for PSP patients. This is also generally the case for MSA patients, although in the UK the patients with the highest severity do not have the highest costs.”
* “This suggests that interventions which successfully modify disease progression may reduce the economic burden of these conditions.”
* “There was a significant inverse relationship between service and unpaid care costs.” I guess this means if someone is seeing an MD or receiving treatment, there’s less of a need for family and friends to provide “unpaid care.”
* “There was no relation between costs, formal or unpaid, and age or disease duration.”
* “The mean six-month service costs of PSP were €24,491 in France, €30,643 in Germany and €25,655 in the UK.”
25,000 Euros is about $34,000 US dollars. So this would mean that the annual costs are about $68K.
* “The costs for MSA were €28,924 [in France], €25,645 [in Germany] and €19,103 [in the UK].”
The authors compare their findings with data on the economic costs of other diseases: “Based on studies using a similar methodology, the six-month service costs of multiple sclerosis are around £8500 in the UK and €10000 in Germany. Likewise, the six-month costs of Alzheimer’s disease in the UK is approximately €13000 per person and schizophrenia €5500. Whilst these figures indicate the high care needs of PSP and MSA relative to other conditions, it should be recognised that the total ‘burden’ will be less given the lower prevalence rates. Of particular interest, and in common with other degenerative conditions, is the fact that unpaid family care accounts for most of the cost.”
I’ve copied the abstract below. The full article is available online at no charge through the PloS One journal’s website:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Ad … ne.0024369
Robin
PLoS One. 2011;6(9):e24369. Epub 2011 Sep 8.
The Economic Costs of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Multiple System Atrophy in France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
McCrone P, Payan CA, Knapp M, Ludolph A, Agid Y, Leigh PN, Bensimon G; for the NNIPPS Study Group.
Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom.
Abstract
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) are progressive disabling neurological conditions usually fatal within 10 years of onset.
Little is known about the economic costs of these conditions. This paper reports service use and costs from France, Germany and the UK and identifies patient characteristics that are associated with cost. 767 patients were recruited, and 760 included in the study, from 44 centres as part of the NNIPPS trial. Service use during the previous six months was measured at entry to the study and costs calculated. Mean six-month costs were calculated for 742 patients.
Data on patient sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were recorded and used in regression models to identify predictors of service costs and unpaid care costs (i.e., care from family and friends).
The mean six-month service costs of PSP were €24,491 in France, €30,643 in Germany and €25,655 in the UK.
The costs for MSA were €28,924, €25,645 and €19,103 respectively.
Unpaid care accounted for 68-76%. Formal and unpaid costs were significantly higher the more severe the illness, as indicated by the Parkinson’s Plus Symptom scale. There was a significant inverse relationship between service and unpaid care costs.
PubMed ID#: 21931694