Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

THE ECONOMIC BURDEN OF CHRONIC ILL HEALTH

Giuseppe Garcea, Ashley Dennison

Abstract


Background: Chronic diseases are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in Europe and research suggests that complex conditions such as diabetes, obesity and depression will impose an even larger burden on health services in the future. The accurate profiling of immediate costs of these conditions is essential in planning healthcare.

Methods: A literature search incorporating peer-reviewed papers, electronic resources and consensus documents was undertaken.

Results: Modelling the costs of chronic disease is a complex process. Various mathematical formulae and software exists to make this as accurate as possible.

Conclusion:Assessing the burden of disease, its direct costs and also the indirect impact which chronic disease has on subsequent GDP, is a difficult task. However, such benchmarking is essential to formulate effective future health strategies, including ones advocating more person-centered approaches in clinical practice.


Keywords


Chronic disease, chronic long term illness, efficiency in healthcare, health economics, mathematical modelling, morbidity, mortality, person-centered care, treatment expenditure

Full Text:

PDF

References


Suhrcke, M. & Stuckler, D. (2012). Will the recession be bad for our health? It depends. Social Science and Medicine 74, 647-653.

Lee, A.C., Blank, L., Payne, N., McShane, M. & Goyder, E. (2013). Demand management: misguided solutions? British Journal of General Practitioners 63, e589-591.

World Health Organisation. Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion. http://www.who.int/chp/en/.

Nolte, E. & Mckee, M. Caring for people with chronic conditions; a health system perspective. European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. http://www.euro.who.int/data/assets/pdf_file/0006/96468/E91878.pdf.

Nolte, E., Knai, C. & Mckee, M. Managing chronic conditions; experience in eight countries. European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. http://www.euro.who.int/data/assets/pdf_file/0008/98414/E92058.pdf.

Busse, R., Blumel, M., Scheller-Kreisen, D. & Zentner, A. Tackling chronic disease in Europe; stratgeies, interventions and challenges.European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. http://www.euro.who.int/data/assets/pdf_file/0008/96632/E93736.pdf

Manning, W.G., Keeler, E.B., Newhouse, J.P., Sloss, E.M. & Wasserman, J. (1991). The Costs of Poor Health Habits. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press.

Single, E., Collins, D., Easton, B., Harwood, H., Lapsley, H., Kopp, P. & Wilson, E. (2003). International Guidelines for Estimating the Costs of Substance Abuse (2nd edition). Geneva: World Health Organization.

Lopez-Casanovas, G., Casasnovas Berta, R. & Currais, L. (2005). Introduction: The Role Health Plays in Economic Growth. In: Health and Economic Growth: Findings and policy implications, (Lopez-Casanovas. G, Rivera. B et al., eds.), p. 385. Cambridge MA: The MIT Press.

Anand, K., Pandav, C.S. & Nath, L.M. (1999). Impact of HIV/AIDS on the national economy of India. Health Policy 47, 195-205.

Cuddington, J.T. (1993). Modelling the macroeconomic effects of AIDS, with an application to Tanzania. World Bank Economic Review 7, 173-189.

Cuddington, J.T. & Hancock, J.D. (1994). Assessing the impact of AIDS on the growth path of the Malawian economy. Journal of Developing Economics 43, 363-368.

Hanson, K. (1992). AIDS: what does economics have to offer? Health Policy Plan 7, 315-328.

Bloom, D.E. & Mahal, A.S. (1977). Does the AIDS epidemic threaten economic growth? Journal of Econometrics 77, 105-124.

Macroencomics and health, investing in health for ecomic development. World Helath Organisation CMH Report. Tenkorang, D. & Steele, H. Digital Design Group, Newton, MA USA. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2001/924154550X.pdf?ua=1.

World Development Report 2004: Making Services Work For Poor People. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/EXTWDRS/0,,contentMDK:23062333~pagePK:478093~piPK:477627~theSitePK:477624,00.html.

Abegunde, D. & Stanciole, A. An estimation of the economic impact of chronic noncommunicable diseases in selected countries. World Health Organisation. http://www.who.int/chp/working_paper_growth%20model29may.pdf.

DeVol, R. & Bedroussian, A. (2007). An Unhealthy America: The Economic burden of Chronic Disease. http://www.milkeninstitute.org/pdf/ES_ResearchFindings.pdf.

Chronic disease prevention and health promotion. http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/calculator/download.htm.

Jha, P., Nugent, G., Verguet, S., Bloom, D. & Hum, R. Chronic disease. http://ccc.040works.se/sites/default/files/chronicdisease.pdf.

Zhao, F.L., Xie, F., Hu, H. & Li, S.C. (2013). Transferability of indirect cost of chronic disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Pharmacoeconomics 31, 501-508.

Bhargava, A., Dean T., Lau L. & Murray, C.J.L. (2001). Modelling the effects of health on economic growth. Journal of Health Economics 20, 423-440.

Mankiw, N.G., Romer, D., David, N. & Weil, D.N. (1992). A Contribution to the Empirics of Economic Growth. Quarterly Journal of Economics 107, 407-437.

Knowles, S. & Owen, P.D. (1995). Health Capital and Cross-Country Variation in Income per Capita in the Mankiw-Romer-Weil Model. Economics Letters 48, 99-106.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5750/ejpch.v3i2.947

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.