Study of the Direct Costs of Asthma at a Healthcare Service Provider in Bogota, Colombia

Objectives: This study aimed to describe clinical characteristics and direct medical costs associated with disease treatment in Colombia patients with asthma from 1 healthcare provider. Methods: This was a descriptive study with a retrospective data collection from a healthcare provider's electronic medical records in Colombia. A clinical, demographic, and healthcare resource utilization profile was developed over a 12-month observation period after the identification of eligible patients. To determine the mean cost per patient per year, the total frequencies of resource utilization were added, and the result was multiplied by the unit cost of each of them. Results: A total of 7919 patients were included in the analysis. The mean +/- SD cost per patient per year ranged from $189.5 +/- $1.900.6 to $240.2 +/- $1.903.6 depending on the price guidebook. The total cost had been driven by the medication use (79% of total cost) and by the outpatient visits (20% of total cost). Conclusions: In the population analyzed, the mean total direct cost per patient per year of asthma was $189.5 and $240.2, depending on the cost source. Direct medical costs were higher in cases classified as severe and in the adult and elderly population. When comparing the sources of resource utilization, it was found that the mean cost per patient obtained from real-life data is lower than the theoretical cost obtained from the bottom-up method with quantification of resources from experts. It is important to consider limitations related to study design and the evolving landscape of asthma treatments.

Automated summary

This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and direct medical costs associated with asthma treatment in Colombia patients. The results showed that medication use and outpatient visits were the main drivers of costs, and costs were higher in severe cases and in the adult/elderly population.