[Type 2 diabetes in Andalusia: Resources use and economic cost]. / Diabetes tipo 2 en Andalucía: uso de recursos y coste económico.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Previous studies that quantify the cost of type 2 diabetes (DM2) show very different results. We set out to define the profile of the patient with DM2 in Andalusia, analyze the use of health resources and quantify their economic cost during 2022. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Multicenter, cross-sectional and descriptive study. Three hundred and eighty-five patients with DM2 from Andalusia (confidence level: 95%; error: 5%). DATA ANALYZED: age, sex, attendance at primary care (PC), nursing, emergency and hospital specialty consultations; consumption of drugs in general and antidiabetics in particular, blood glucose strips, complementary tests and hospitalization days. RESULTS: Mean age: 70.7 ± 12.44 years; 53.6% men. Care contacts: PC physician: 8.36 ± 4.69; nursing: 7.17 ± 12; hospital visits: 2.31 ± 2.38; emergencies: 1.71 ± 2.89; hospitalization days: 2.26 ± 6.46. LABORATORY TESTS: 3.79 ± 5.45 and 2.17 ± 3.47 Rx. Drugs consumed: 9.20 ± 3.94 (1.76 ± 0.90 antidiabetics). Blood glucose strips: 184 ± 488. Annual cost: 5171.05 €/patient/year (2228.36 € for hospital admissions, 1702.87 € for drugs and 1239.82 € for assistance and complementary tests). CONCLUSIONS: The DM2 Andalusian is 71 years old, consumes 10 different drugs and treats DM2 with double therapy. He has been 20 attendances/year (75% in PC), 4 analyses, 2 X-rays and requires 2 days of hospitalization. Direct healthcare costs goes over 5000 €/year. This represents 41.66% of the budget of the Andalusian Ministry of Health and triples the average cost per habitant.

Cost of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme in North India.

Background & objectives: Despite significant resources being spent on National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), there are meagre published data on health system cost upon its implementation. Hence, the present study estimated the annual and unit cost of different services delivered under NVBDCP in North India. Methodology: Economic cost of implementing NVBDCP was estimated based on data collected from three North Indian States, i.e. Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Multistage stratified random sampling was used for selecting health facilities across each level [i.e. subcentres (SCs), Primary Health Centres (PHCs), community health centres (CHCs) and district malaria office (DMO)] from the selected States. Data on annual consumption of both capital and recurrent resources were assessed from each of the selected facilities following bottom-up costing approach. Capital items (equipment, vehicles and furniture) were annualized over average life span using a discount rate of 3 per cent. The mean annual cost of implementation of NVBDCP was estimated for each level along with unit cost. Results: The mean annual cost of implementing NVBDCP at the level of SC, PHC and CHC and DMO was ₹ 230,420 (199,523-264,901), 686,962 (482,637-886,313), 1.2 million (0.9-1.5 million) and 9.1 million (4.6-13.5 million), respectively. Per capita cost for the provision of complete package of services under NVBDCP was ₹ 45 (37-54), 48 (29-73), 10 (6-14) and 47 (31-62) at the level of SC, PHC, CHC and DMO level, respectively. The per capita cost was higher in Himachal Pradesh (HP) at SC [₹ 69 (52-85)] and CHC [₹ 20.8 (20.7-20.8)] level and in Punjab at PHC level [₹ 89 (49-132)] as compared to other States. Interpretation & conclusions: The evidence on cost of NVBDCP can be used to undertake future economic evaluations which could serve as a basis for allocating resources efficiently, policy development as well as future planning for scale up of services.

Trends in the consumption and cost of antiepileptics in Morocco between 2008 and 2018.

INTRODUCTION: Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological diseases. In Morocco, it is the second most common reason for consulting a neurologist. Its prevalence was estimated in Casablanca in 1998 at 1.1%. This study was carried out with the aim of evaluating, on the one hand, the consumption of antiepileptics and, on the other hand, the impact of their generic drugs on the pharmaceutical market between 2008 and 2018 in Morocco. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used sales data for antiepileptic drugs collected from the Moroccan subsidiary of IQVIA, a multinational healthcare data science company, and we converted them into a defined daily dose (DDD/1000 inhabitants). RESULTS: The consumption of antiepileptic drugs increased from 442 to 641 DDD/1000 inhabitants between 2008 and 2018, all molecules combined, recording a 45% increase in the period studied. From an economic point of view, the calculation of the average cost of DDD, all molecules combined, gives an average cost of 2.42 dollars/DDD in 2018 versus 3.53 dollars/DDD in 2008 (1 dirham = 0.11 dollar), which corresponds to a decrease of -30%. This is due mainly to the introduction of generic drugs. CONCLUSION: These results show that while the average cost of a DDD has decreased, the consumption of antiepileptics has increased in Morocco over the years. Several events that have marked the drug market in Morocco have contributed to this trend, including the arrival on the market of several new molecules indicated for the treatment of epilepsy, the decrease in drug prices in 2014 and the policy of promoting generic drugs.

Design and Evaluation of Two-Stage Membrane-Separation Processes for Propylene-Propane Mixtures.

Propylene is industrially produced in a mixture with propane and generally separated from the mixture via distillation. However, because distillation is an energy-consuming process, a more efficient separation process should be developed to mitigate both carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and production costs. In this study, a two-stage membrane-separation process was designed, and its CO2 emission and production costs were evaluated. The separation processes were designed to minimize energy consumption using different membrane combinations (two recently developed membranes each). To evaluate the separation processes using various membrane combinations, two indicators, i.e., CO2 emissions and total annual costs (TACs), were estimated based on the process simulation (Pro/II, version 10.1.1) results, including energy consumptions, operation expenditure, and capital expenditure. These results were compared to the distillation processes as benchmarks, and the advantages of the membrane-separation process were discussed. In the comparison, carbon taxes were implemented for assessing these two independent indicators as a single indicator, i.e., TAC with carbon tax. Furthermore, using the same scheme, model membranes were also employed in the two-stage membrane-separation process as case studies of technological forecasts.

Cost of delivering primary healthcare services through public sector in India.

Background & objectives: Public health spending on primary healthcare has increased by four times (in real terms) over the last decade and continues to constitute more than half of the total public health expenditure. The present study estimated the cost of providing healthcare services at sub centre (SC) and primary health centre (PHC) level in four selected States of India. Methods: A total of 51 SCs and 33 PHCs were selected across the four States (Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Kerala and Tamil Nadu) of India. The economic cost of delivering health services at these facilities was assessed using bottom-up costing methodology during the reference year of 2014-2015. The cost of capital items was annualized and allocation of shared resources was based on appropriate apportioning statistics. Results: The mean annual cost of providing health services at SC and PHC was ₹ 0.69 million (US$ 11,392) and ₹ 5.1 million (US$ 83,837), respectively. Nearly 3/4th and 2/3rd of this cost at the level of SC (74%) and PHC (63%) were spent on salaries. In terms of unit cost, the costs per antenatal care and postnatal care visit were ₹ 221 (173-276) and ₹ 333 (244-461), respectively, at SCs. Similarly, the costs of per patient outpatient consultation and per bed day hospitalization at PHC level were ₹ 121 (91-155) and ₹ 1168 (955-1468), respectively. Interpretation & conclusions: The cost estimates from the present study can be used in economic evaluations, assessing technical efficiency and also for providing valuable information during scale-up of health facilities.

Optimizing the system-wide layout of sewage treatment plants based on enumeration and the orthogonal test.

Optimizing the locations of sewage treatment plants has enormous practical significance. In this study, a large-system mathematical model was developed for optimizing the locations of sewage treatment plants within a system and designing the associated pumping station pipe network. Head loss of pipe segments in the pipe network was the coupling constraint, the economic flow rate of pipe segments was determined by the feasible region constraints of decision variables, and the design variables were the sewage treatment plant locations, the design head of the pumping stations, the pipeline economic life, and the pipe diameter of divided pipe segments. The minimum total annual cost of the sewage treatment plant(s) and the pumping station pipe network was the objective function. A large-system quadratic orthogonal test-based selection method was used with a discrete enumeration comparison and selection method to determine pipeline economic life. A dynamic programming method was used to determine the pipe diameter of the divided pipe segments. By comparing the total annual cost of the sewage treatment plants and the associated pumping station pipe network corresponding to different pipeline economic lifetimes, the optimal solution that generates the minimum total annual cost can be identified. The sewage treatment plant and pumping station pipe network in Taizhou, China, was used as an example to compare and analyze optimization results. The new optimization method would have produced much lower annual cost than that of the existing system. This study provides valuable theoretical references for probing the layout design of urban sewage treatment plants corresponding to different pipeline economic lifetimes.

A spatial life cycle cost assessment of stormwater management systems.

Although widely implemented, the research and understanding of the economic impacts and benefits of green infrastructure (GI) systems remain limited. Currently, few studies have investigated the economics of GI systems from a spatial perspective and typically opportunity costs related to land and property tax were ignored. This study aims at bridging these gaps by investigating both the equivalent annual costs (EAC) and cost effectiveness of seven GI systems and compare them against local wastewater treatment facilities in five different US cities. To do this, we utilized capital and maintenance cost data obtained from GI systems that are currently installed at the University of New Hampshire. The costing data were then extrapolated across five different cities considering reported local material, land, tax, and labor rates. A system dynamics model was utilized to calculate the total stormwater reduction as well as the amounts of nitrogen and phosphorous removed by each GI system over its life cycle under a certain city setting. Based upon these outcomes, the cost effectiveness (CE) in terms of stormwater reduction, nitrogen treatment, and phosphorous treatment of the GI systems was calculated. Land and tax costs were found to be a significant component of the EAC for GI systems with larger footprints in cities with higher property values, accounting for up to 78% in some cities. The rankings of the GI systems differ significantly when different types of cost effectiveness are under consideration. The tree filter performs the best when the CE is calculated based on stormwater reductions, while the subsurface gravel wetland performs the best considering nitrogen treatment, and either the subsurface gravel wetland or the sand filter performs the best considering phosphorous treatment. Our study suggests recommendations of GI systems need to be made based on local needs and issues to achieve the most cost-effective solution.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: a systematic review of the cost of and savings from prevention in the United States and Canada.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a preventable condition that imposes a significant financial burden on societies. Funding of FASD prevention is a small portion of the total expenditures associated with FASD. This paper aimed to review the literature on the costs of and savings from prevention of FASD and present a model for the United States and Canada of projected savings based on expansion of existing evidence-based prevention models. METHODS: A systematic review of published literature on the cost of FASD prevention was conducted and experts in the field were interviewed. Studies that reported the cost of primary prevention of FASD were eligible for further consideration. RESULTS: Applying evidenced-based prevention programs to women at highest risk to have a future child with FASD greatly reduces the cost of prevention. In the United States, one case of FASD can be prevented for as little as USD $20 200 - 47 615. Cost of prevention is considerably less expensive than cost of care for a case of FASD. CONCLUSION: Expansion of risk-based prevention strategies for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in the United States and Canada would be an economically efficient and worthwhile investment for society.

Impacto económico de los inhibidores en hemofilia tipo A pediátrica.

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have assessed the economic impact of inhibitors in hemophilia A in Mexico, especially in the pediatric population. OBJECTIVE: To determine the economic impact entailed by the development of inhibitors in pediatric patients with hemophilia A. METHOD: Patients with hemophilia A under the care of a pediatric hematology department between December 2015 and November 2017 were retrospectively assessed. Direct and indirect costs were determined based on the presence or absence of inhibitors. RESULTS: The cost analysis of the study population (n = 24) showed that diagnosis, follow-up, prophylaxis, treatment and hospitalization of these patients had an annual cost of $ 6 883 187.4 per patient, out of which more than 95 % depended on the use of hemostatic factors. Annual cost per patient in the group with inhibitors was $ 5 548 765.0 in comparison with $ 1 334 422.4 in the group without inhibitors, 4.2 times higher. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first national study to show that the presence of inhibitors in pediatric patients with hemophilia A increases the cost of the disease more than four times.

INTRODUCCIÓN: Pocos estudios han evaluado el impacto económico de los inhibidores en hemofilia tipo A en México, especialmente en población pediátrica. OBJETIVO: Determinar el impacto económico que conlleva el desarrollo de inhibidores en pacientes pediátricos con hemofilia tipo A. MÉTODO: Se evaluaron de forma retrospectiva los pacientes con hemofilia tipo A atendidos en un servicio de hematología pediátrica entre diciembre de 2015 y noviembre de 2017, y se determinaron los costos directos e indirectos a partir de la presencia o ausencia de inhibidores. RESULTADOS: El análisis de costos de la población estudiada (n = 24) mostró que el diagnóstico, seguimiento, profilaxis, tratamiento y hospitalización de estos pacientes tuvo un costo de $6 883 187.4 anuales por paciente, de los cuales más de 95 % dependió del uso de factores hemostáticos. El costo anual por paciente en el grupo con inhibidores tuvo un costo de $5 548 765.0, en comparación con $1 334 422.4 del grupo sin inhibidores, 4.2 veces superior. CONCLUSIONES: Se trata del primer estudio nacional que muestra que el desarrollo de inhibidores en pacientes pediátricos con hemofilia tipo A eleva más de cuatro veces la erogación económica derivada de esta enfermedad.

Impacto económico de los inhibidores en hemofilia tipo A pediátrica / Economic impact of inhibitors in pediatric hemophilia type A

Resumen Introducción: Pocos estudios han evaluado el impacto económico de los inhibidores en hemofilia tipo A en México, especialmente en población pediátrica. Objetivo: Determinar el impacto económico que conlleva el desarrollo de inhibidores en pacientes pediátricos con hemofilia tipo A. Método: Se evaluaron de forma retrospectiva los pacientes con hemofilia tipo A atendidos en un servicio de hematología pediátrica entre diciembre de 2015 y noviembre de 2017, y se determinaron los costos directos e indirectos a partir de la presencia o ausencia de inhibidores. Resultados: El análisis de costos de la población estudiada (n = 24) mostró que el diagnóstico, seguimiento, profilaxis, tratamiento y hospitalización de estos pacientes tuvo un costo de $6 883 187.4 anuales por paciente, de los cuales más de 95 % dependió del uso de factores hemostáticos. El costo anual por paciente en el grupo con inhibidores tuvo un costo de $5 548 765.0, en comparación con $1 334 422.4 del grupo sin inhibidores, 4.2 veces superior. Conclusiones: Se trata del primer estudio nacional que muestra que el desarrollo de inhibidores en pacientes pediátricos con hemofilia tipo A eleva más de cuatro veces la erogación económica derivada de esta enfermedad.

Abstract Introduction: Few studies have assessed the economic impact of inhibitors in hemophilia A in Mexico, especially in the pediatric population. Objective: To determine the economic impact entailed by the development of inhibitors in pediatric patients with hemophilia A. Method: Patients with hemophilia A under the care of a pediatric hematology department between December 2015 and November 2017 were retrospectively assessed. Direct and indirect costs were determined based on the presence or absence of inhibitors. Results: The cost analysis of the study population (n = 24) showed that diagnosis, follow-up, prophylaxis, treatment and hospitalization of these patients had an annual cost of $ 6 883 187.4 per patient, out of which more than 95 % depended on the use of hemostatic factors. Annual cost per patient in the group with inhibitors was $ 5 548 765.0 in comparison with $ 1 334 422.4 in the group without inhibitors, 4.2 times higher. Conclusions: This is the first national study to show that the presence of inhibitors in pediatric patients with hemophilia A increases the cost of the disease more than four times.

Acupuncture price in forty-one metropolitan regions in the United States: An out-of-pocket cost analysis based on OkCopay.com.

Few studies have focused on the cost of acupuncture treatments although acupuncture has become popular in the United States (U.S.). The purpose of the current study was to examine the out-of-pocket costs incurred from acupuncture services based on an online website, OkCopay.com. We examined descriptive statistics (range, median and 20% intervals) for the cost of acupuncture "first-time visits" and "follow-up visits" in 41 metropolitan regions in the U.S. The acupuncture prices of 723 clinics throughout 39 metropolitan regions were included, except for Birmingham, Alabama and Detroit, Michigan as there was no online data available at the time of the study for these two regions. The cost range for a first-time acupuncture visit was $15-400; the highest median was $150 in Charleston, South Carolina, while the lowest was $45 in St. Louis, Missouri. The top 10 cities for the highest median were: Baltimore, Washington, D.C., New York, San Francisco, San Jose, Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland and Indianapolis, with the median $120, while the median for all 723 clinics was $112. For the follow-up visits, the cost range was $15-300; the highest median was $108 in Charleston, South Carolina, and the lowest $40 in Miami, Florida. The 10 cities with highest median follow-up acupuncture visit costs were: New York, Baltimore, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Boston and Atlanta, with the median $85, while for all 723 clinics the median price was $80. The estimation of the average gross annual income of each acupuncturist from the regions studied was $95,760, while the total annual cost of patients seeking acupuncture services in the U.S. was about $3.5 billion in 2018.

Acupuncture price in forty-one metropolitan regions in the United States: An out-of-pocket cost analysis based on OkCopay.com / 中西医结合学报

Few studies have focused on the cost of acupuncture treatments although acupuncture has become popular in the United States (U.S.). The purpose of the current study was to examine the out-of-pocket costs incurred from acupuncture services based on an online website, OkCopay.com. We examined descriptive statistics (range, median and 20% intervals) for the cost of acupuncture "first-time visits" and "follow-up visits" in 41 metropolitan regions in the U.S. The acupuncture prices of 723 clinics throughout 39 metropolitan regions were included, except for Birmingham, Alabama and Detroit, Michigan as there was no online data available at the time of the study for these two regions. The cost range for a first-time acupuncture visit was $15-400; the highest median was $150 in Charleston, South Carolina, while the lowest was $45 in St. Louis, Missouri. The top 10 cities for the highest median were: Baltimore, Washington, D.C., New York, San Francisco, San Jose, Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland and Indianapolis, with the median $120, while the median for all 723 clinics was $112. For the follow-up visits, the cost range was $15-300; the highest median was $108 in Charleston, South Carolina, and the lowest $40 in Miami, Florida. The 10 cities with highest median follow-up acupuncture visit costs were: New York, Baltimore, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Boston and Atlanta, with the median $85, while for all 723 clinics the median price was $80. The estimation of the average gross annual income of each acupuncturist from the regions studied was $95,760, while the total annual cost of patients seeking acupuncture services in the U.S. was about $3.5 billion in 2018.

Dataset for the estimation of costs for direct contact condenser.

The dataset on equations and procedures for the estimation of detailed capital and annual costs for direct contact condenser are presented. Full dataset on four design cases relevant to the comparisons on the costs of air and oxy-fuel direct contact condenser is given. The data are presented in this format to allow the comparison with those from other researchers in this field. The data presented are related to the article entitled "A comparative study on the design of direct contact condenser for air and oxy-fuel combustion flue gas based on Callide Oxy-fuel Project" (Liu et al., 2018) [1].

The annual direct costs of stable COPD in Greece.

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) places a major burden on health care systems and has substantial economic effects; however, the cost of stable disease in Greece has never been thoroughly explored. The objective of the study was to estimate the annual COPD patient cost during the maintenance phase and explore the relationships between the cost and disease severity. Methods: Data were collected from 245 COPD patients (male: 231, mean age: 69.5±8.8 years) who visited the outpatient unit of University Hospital of Larissa in 2014 and 2015. Patients were classified according to Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines, and the patients' direct cost during the maintenance phase was calculated. Results: Eleven percent of COPD patients were stage I, 48.2% were stage II, 29% were stage III, and 11.8% were stage IV. According to the GOLD groups, 23.3% of patients were grade A, 15.5% were grade B, 22.9% were grade C, and 38.4% were grade D. The mean annual direct cost for stable disease was estimated at €1,034.55 per patient, of which €222.94 corresponded to out-of-pocket payments. The annual cost ranged from €408.23 to €2,041.89 depending on GOLD stages (I-IV) and from €550.01 to €1,480.00 depending on GOLD groups (A-D). The key cost driver was pharmaceutical treatment, which reflected almost 71% of the total expenses for the management of stable disease. The mean annual per-patient cost was two to three times higher for those with advanced disease (stages III-IV) compared to those with stages I-II disease, and it doubled for "high-risk" patients (groups C-D) compared to "low-risk" patients (groups A-B). Conclusion: The cost of COPD during the maintenance phase is remarkable, with the key cost driver found to be pharmaceutical treatment and social insurance funds the key payer for treating COPD patients in Greece. The cost of stable disease is proportional to the severity of COPD, and it is doubled in patients who belong to high-risk groups.

Counting Costs under Severe Financial Constraints: A Cost-of-Illness Analysis of Spondyloarthropathies in a Tertiary Hospital in Greece.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the total annual direct cost of patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) in Greece. METHODS: Retrospective study with 156 patients diagnosed and followed up in the rheumatology clinic of the University Hospital of Ioannina. Sixty-four had ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and 92 had psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Health resource use for each patient was elicited through a retrospective chart review that documented the use of monitoring visits, medications, laboratory/diagnostic tests, and inpatient stays for the previous year from the date that the review took place. Costs were calculated from a third-party payer perspective and are reported in 2014 euros. RESULTS: The mean ± SD annual direct cost for the patients with SpA reached €8680 ± 6627. For the patients with PsA and AS, the cost was estimated to be €8097 ± 6802 and €9531 ± 6322, respectively. The major cost was medication, which represented 88.9%, 88.2%, and 89.3% of the mean total direct cost for SpA, AS, and PsA, respectively. The annual amount of the scheduled tests for all patients corresponded to 7.5%, and for those performed on an emergency basis, 1.1%. Further, the cost for scheduled and emergency hospitalization, as well as the cost of scheduled visits to an outpatient clinic, corresponded to 2.5% of the mean total annual direct cost for the patients with SpA. CONCLUSION: SpA carries substantial financial cost, especially in the era of new treatment options. Adequate access and treatment for patients with SpA remains a necessity, even in times of fiscal constraint. Thus, the recommendations of the international scientific organizations should be considered when administering high-cost drugs such as biological treatments.