Journal
INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL
Volume 11, Issue 3, Pages 283-292Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-481X.2012.01089.x
Keywords
Chronic wounds; Cost-of-illness; Health care wounds; Leg ulcers
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Leg ulcer management is complex, time-consuming and of high socio-economic importance. Data on cost-of-illness in leg ulcer care are sparse. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cost-of-illness in leg ulcer treatment in the metropolitan area of Hamburg. About 147 institutions involved in wound care participated in a cross-sectional study. Patients consecutively recruited underwent a standardised interview and clinical examination. Main economic outcomes were direct, indirect and intangible costs from a societal perspective. Five hundred and two patients with a mean age of 71 years and mean wound duration of 9 years were enrolled. Annual total costs summed up to a mean of 9060Euro /patient/year (8288Euro direct, 772Euro indirect costs). Direct costs carried by statutory health insurances amounted to 7680Euro , patients themselves paid on average 607Euro. Leg ulcer is associated with high costs for health insurances, patients and the society. Exploratory predictor analyses suggest that early, interprofessional disease-management could lower treatment costs.
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