Impact on health service costs of medical technologies used in management of prostatic cancer.
The aim of the study was to calculate the direct costs for the management of prostatic cancer throughout the need for care period. The impact of new medical technologies was analysed on the basis of an earlier cost study. The records of all 128 men in a defined population who died in 1992-93 and had been diagnosed with prostatic adenocarcinoma were retrospectively reviewed from diagnosis to death. The median cost per case, SEK 86,400, was significantly lower than the average cost per case, SEK 135,000, largely because of a few high-cost patients (in 20% of cases the cost exceeded SEK 250,000). Analysis of cost distribution throughout the need for care period showed that about 84% of the total cost per case was incurred during the the 3 years up to death. Estimated total direct care costs due to prostatic cancer in Sweden in the mid-1980s and early 1990s rose from approx. SEK 550 million to approx. SEK 780 million (1993 prices).
Holmberg
H
H
Centre for Medical Technology Assessment, Linköping University, Sweden.
Carlsson
P
P
Kalman
D
D
Varenhorst
E
E
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004180:Direct Service Costs / Q000639:trends; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013677:Medical Laboratory Science / Q000191:economics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D013548:Sweden; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000191:economics