Journal Article

Economic burden of multiple sclerosis in a population with low physical disability

García-Domínguez, José M., Martínez-Ginés, María L., Caminero, Ana B., Carmona, Olga, Ruíz-Beato, Elena, Medrano, Nicolás, Maurino, Jorge

2019

Overview

Background In multiple sclerosis (MS), half of affected people are unemployed within 10 years of diagnosis. The aim of this study was to assess the economic impact of MS in adult subjects with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and primary progressive MS (PPMS). Methods A multicenter, non-interventional, cross-sectional study was conducted. The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and the 23-item Multiple Sclerosis Work Difficulties Questionnaire (MSWDQ-23) were used to assess disability and work performance, respectively. Only indirect costs were considered using the human capital method, including work costs. Professional support costs and informal caregivers’ costs were also estimated. Results A total of 199 subjects were studied (mean age: 43.9 ± 10.5 years, 60.8% female, 86.4% with RRMS). Median EDSS score was 2.0 (interquartile range: 1.0–3.5) and median MSWDQ-23 total score was 31.5 (15.2, 50.0). The number of employed subjects decreased after MS diagnosis from 70.6 to 47.2%, and the number of retired people increased (23.6%). Mean age of retirement was 43.6 ± 10.5 years. Ten percent of the population had sick leaves (absenteeism was seen in 90.9% of the student population and 30.9% of the employed population). Professional support in their daily life activities was needed in 28.1% of subjects. Costs for sick leave, work absenteeism, premature retirement and premature work disability/pensioner were €416.6 ± 2030.2, €763.4 ± 3161.8, €5810.1 ± 13,159.0 and €1816.8 ± 9630.7, respectively. Costs for professional support and informal caregiving activities were €1026.93 ± 4622.0 and €1328.72, respectively. Conclusions MS is responsible for a substantial economic burden due to indirect and informal care costs, even in a population with low physical disability.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Absenteeism / Adult / Analysis / Biostatistics / Burden of illness / Caregiver / Caregivers / Cost of Illness / Costs / Cross-Sectional Studies / Development and progression / Diagnosis / Disability / Disabled Persons - statistics & numerical data / Economic aspects / Economic impact / Economics / Employee benefits / Employment / Employment - economics / Employment - statistics & numerical data / Environmental Health / Epidemiology / Female / Health aspects / Health care costs / Health policies / Human capital / Humans / Impact analysis / Literature reviews / Male / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Middle Aged / Multiple sclerosis / Multiple Sclerosis - economics / Non-pharmacological intervention / Pensions - statistics & numerical data / Physically disabled persons / Public Health / Quality of life / Recurrence (Disease) / Research Article / Retirees / Retirement / Retirement - economics / Retirement - statistics & numerical data / Risk factors / Services / Sick Leave - economics / Sick Leave - statistics & numerical data / Spain / Surveys and Questionnaires / systems and management in high-income countries / Vaccine