Epidemiological changes and financial consequences of hypertension in Latin America: implications for the health system and patients in Mexico / Cambios epidemiológicos y consecuencias financieras de la hipertensión en América Latina: implicaciones para el sistema de salud y los pacientes en México

The aim of this study was to assess the costs and financial consequences of epidemiological changes in hypertension in México. The cost evaluation method to estimate costs was based on instrumentation techniques. To estimate the epidemiological changes and expected cases of hypertension in 2010-2012, three probabilistic models were constructed according to the Box-Jenkins technique. Comparing the economic impact, from 2010 to 2012 there will be a 24 percent increase in financial requirements (p < 0.05). The total cost of hypertension in 2011 will be US$ 5,733,350,291, including US$ 2,718,280,941 in direct costs and US$ 3,015,069,350 in indirect costs. If the risk factors and various healthcare models remain unaltered in the institutions analyzed here, the financial consequences will have a major impact on users' pockets, followed by social security providers and public healthcare providers. The authors suggest a revision in the planning, organization, and allocation of resources, particularly programs for health promotion and prevention of hypertension.

El objetivo fue identificar los costos y las consecuencias financieras de cambios epidemiológicos referentes a la hipertensión en México. El método de evaluación de los costos, para estimar los costos directos e indirectos, se basó en técnicas de instrumentación y de consenso. Para estimar los cambios epidemiológicos y de casos esperados para el período 2010-2012, tres modelos probabilísticos se construyeron de acuerdo a la técnica de Box-Jenkins. Al comparar el impacto económico en el 2010 frente a 2012 (p < 0.05), hay un incremento del 24 por ciento de las necesidades financieras. El importe total para la hipertensión en 2011 será de US$ 5.733.350.291. Se incluyen US$ 2.718.280.941 en costos directos y US$ 3.015.069.350 en costos indirectos. Si los factores de riesgo y los modelos de atención a la salud permanecen sin cambios, las consecuencias financieras serían de mayor impacto para los bolsillos de los usuarios, siguiendo en orden de importancia, los proveedores de seguridad social y los proveedores de asistencia pública.

Economic burden of expected epidemiological changes in diseases related to tobacco, Mexico

OBJECTIVE: To determine health care costs and economic burden of epidemiological changes in diseases related to tobacco consumption. METHODS: A time-series analysis in Mexico (1994-2005) was carried out on seven health interventions: chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, lung cancer with and without surgical intervention, asthma in smokers and non-smokers, full treatment course with nicotine gum, and full treatment course with nicotine patch. According with Box-Jenkins methodology, probabilistic models were developed to forecast the expected changes in the epidemiologic profile and the expected changes in health care services required for selected interventions. Health care costs were estimated following the instrumentation methods and validated with consensus technique. RESULTS: A comparison of the economic impact in 2006 vs. 2008 showed 20-90 percent increase in expected cases depending on the disease (p<0.05), and 25-93 percent increase in financial requirements (p<0.01). The study data suggest that changes in the demand for health services for patients with respiratory diseases related to tobacco consumption will continue showing an increasing trend. CONCLUSIONS: In economic terms, the growing number of cases expected during the study period indicates a process of internal competition and adds an element of intrinsic competition in the management of preventive and curative interventions. The study results support the assumption that if preventive programs remain unchanged, the increasing demands for curative health care may cause great financial and management challenges to the health care system of middle-income countries like Mexico.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar os custos da atenção médica a doenças associadas ao tabagismo e o impacto econômico das mudanças epidemiológicas. MÉTODOS: Análise de série temporal no México (1994-2005) de sete intervenções médicas em relação a: doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica, câncer de pulmão com e sem intervenção cirúrgica, asma bronquial em fumantes e não-fumantes, tratamento com adesivos para deixar de fumar, tratamento com goma de mascar. As mudanças epidemiológicas esperadas e as necessidades financeiras para atender a demanda de serviços foram avaliadas pelos modelos probabilísticos de Box-Jenkins. Os custos foram determinados de acordo com método de instrumentação e a técnica de consenso. RESULTADOS: A comparação do impacto das mudanças epidemiológicas previstas para 2006 e 2008 mostrou incremento de 20 por cento a 90 por cento, dependendo do tipo de intervenção. O incremento nos custos da atenção médica foi de 25 por cento a 93 por cento. Há indícios que a demanda de serviços de saúde para as intervenções investigadas continuarão aumentando. CONCLUSÕES: Em termos econômicos, o aumento na quantidade de casos esperados refletem um fenômeno de competição interna em relação ao uso dos recursos adicionais entre atividades de promoção e prevenção da saúde relacionada ao tabagismo. Se não houver mudanças nos programas de prevenção, haverão desafios econômicos de alto impacto no financiamento dos sistemas de saúde.