title: Costs of atrial fibrillation in five European countries: results from the Euro Heart Survey on atrial fibrillation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate costs of admission and costs incurred on an annual basis by patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the Netherlands.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Euro Heart Survey on AF enrolled 5333 patients with AF in 35 European countries in 2003 and 2004. This was a bottom-up cost study conducted for the five largest contributors in terms of patients enrolled. Quantities of resource use during the enrolment admission and during 1-year follow-up were inferred from survey data and multiplied by national unit costs in order to estimate per patient costs associated with AF for each country. Mean costs of inpatient admission of an AF patient were estimated at euro1363, euro5252, euro2322, euro6360, and euro6445 and mean costs incurred on an annual basis at euro1507, euro3225, euro1010, euro2315, and euro2328 in Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the Netherlands, respectively. Inpatient care and interventional procedures were identified as the main drivers of costs, accounting for more than 70% of total annual costs in all five countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Estimates of the economic burden posed by AF are critical in light of the increasing importance of AF as a public health problem.
authors.affiliation: anna.r@healtheconomics.se
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ringborg
authors.forename: Robby
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nieuwlaat
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lindgren
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jönsson
authors.forename: Dogan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fidan
authors.forename: Aldo P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Maggioni
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lopez-Sendon
authors.forename: Janina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stepinska
authors.forename: Dennis V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Cokkinos
authors.forename: Harry J G M
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Crijns
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006115:Greece; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006295:Health Resources / Q000191:economics; D017721:Hospital Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000191:economics; D011044:Poland; D013030:Spain