[The costs of a multiple sclerosis relapse in Catalonia (Spain)].
BACKGROUND
The objective of this study is to calculate direct, indirect and intangible costs of a relapse in multiple sclerosis (MS) in our cohort of patients.


METHODS
Data from patient questionnaires, hospital charts, Catalan Public Healthcare System tariffs and Catalan Statistics Institute. We employed a cost-of-illness method. The human capital approach was used to estimate indirect costs, and quality-of-life measurements were used to estimate intangible costs.


RESULTS
148 MS patients monitored in our MS-Unit consecutively answered the questionnaire elaborated. We calculated 1,498.5-1,537.9 euros for direct costs (hospital admission and outpatient, respectively) and 1,530.6 euros for indirect costs. We estimated an average total cost of 3,048.8 euros per patient/relapse. We also calculated intangible costs, 539 euros per patient and relapse, which should be added to the previous figure.


CONCLUSIONS
The total cost of a MS relapse in our population (3,048.8 euros) is lower than the cost reported in the literature. The economic impact of MS is due to its disabling progression rather than to relapses
Casado
V
V
Unidad de Esclerosis Múltiple, Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge. uniatatem@csub.es
Martinez-Yelamos
S
S
Martinez-Yelamos
A
A
Carmona
O
O
Alonso
L
L
Romero
L
L
Moral
E
E
Arbizu
T
T
D000328:Adult; D017281:Cost of Illness; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000191:economics / Q000503:physiopathology; D011788:Quality of Life; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires