title: The treatment of newly diagnosed patients with glaucoma or with ocular hypertension in The Netherlands: an observational study of costs and initial treatment success based on retrospective chart review.
abstract: To determine the health care resource use and costs of patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension in the Netherlands during the first 2 years after primary diagnosis, we performed a study based on retrospective chart review. Data of 200 patients and their health care resource use were collected in five hospitals. Unit-prices were calculated using micro costing in two hospitals. The mean 2-year costs per patient were estimated to be US$ 877. Outpatient visits to the ophthalmologist and medications were the cost-driving factors, and were responsible for 40 and 30% of total costs, respectively. Total costs were considered to be low, when compared to the estimated costs per patient in Sweden and the USA. In multiple least-squares regression only baseline IOP-value, the change in IOP-value between baseline and the next visit and the hospital of treatment were significantly related with total costs. The variation in costs between patients largely depended on whether or not a patient had undergone surgery.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Technology Assessment, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands. oostenbrink@bmg.eur.nl
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Oostenbrink
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Rutten-van Mölken
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Opdenoordt
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004232:Diuretics / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D006295:Health Resources / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008916:Miotics / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009426:Netherlands; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014130:Trabeculectomy / Q000191:economics*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D004232:Diuretics; D008916:Miotics