title: The economic burden of COPD.
abstract: COPD is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide and imparts a substantial economic burden on individuals and society. Despite the intense interest in COPD among clinicians and researchers, there is a paucity of data on health-care utilization, costs, and social burden in this population. The total economic costs of COPD morbidity and mortality in the United States were estimated at $23.9 billion in 1993. Direct treatments for COPD-related illness accounted for $14.7 billion, and the remaining $9.2 billion were indirect morbidity and premature mortality estimated as lost future earnings. Similar data from another US study suggest that 10% of persons with COPD account for > 70% of all medical care costs. International studies of trends in COPD-related hospitalization indicate that although the average length of stay has decreased since 1972, admissions per 1,000 persons per year for COPD have increased in all age groups > 45 years of age. These trends reflect population aging, smoking patterns, institutional factors, and treatment practices.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pharmacy and Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. sdsull@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Ramsey
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000191:economics* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology