A Bottom-Up Analysis of the Cost of Illness of Parkinson's Disease in the Netherlands from a Societal Perspective.

BACKGROUND

Parkinson's disease (PD) places a high burden on patients, their families, healthcare systems, and society as a whole, which is rising due to the increasing prevalence of PD. There has been wide variation in the items included in previous cost of illness (COI) studies for PD, possibly underestimating the costs associated with this disease.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to undertake a detailed estimate of the COI of PD in the Netherlands from a societal perspective.

METHODS

Between November 2022 and May 2023, we conducted a cross-sectional COI study with a bottom-up, prevalence-based approach. Data were collected using a questionnaire with a recall period of three months. Costs were valued following the Dutch guideline for economic evaluations in healthcare and extrapolated to costs per year.

RESULTS

Seventy-four patients were included, with a mean age of 65.9 years and a mean disease duration of 6.3 years. Patients in early disease stages were over-represented. COI was determined at € 14,487 per patient per year. Healthcare accounted for 55.6% of costs, followed by productivity loss (23.9%) and costs to patients and families (20.5%). The most impactful cost item was medication, followed by social productivity loss, informal care, auxiliary therapy, and work productivity loss. Alternative valuation methods for productivity led to an estimated COI of € 36,867.

CONCLUSIONS

PD-COI was 30-40% higher than previously determined in comparable patient groups, probably due to a more comprehensive measurement of costs. Future COI studies in PD should adopt a societal perspective and include all relevant cost items.