The economic implications of treating atherothrombotic disease in Australia, from the government perspective.
BACKGROUND
The management of atherothrombotic disease is responsible for a large proportion of direct medical costs in most countries, imposing a substantial financial burden on health care payers. There is limited knowledge about direct per-person medical costs using a "bottom-up" approach.


OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to estimate the per-person direct medical costs incurred by communitybased subjects in Australia who have or are at high risk for atherothrombotic disease. The perspective was a governmental one, at the federal level for pharmaceuticals and at the state level for hospitalizations.


METHODS
One-year follow-up data were obtained for Australian participants in the international REACH (Reduction of Atherothrombosis for Continued Health) Registry who were aged >or=45 years and had either established atherothrombotic disease (coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, or peripheral artery disease [PAD]) or >or=3 risk factors for atherothrombotic disease. Information was extracted on the use of cardiovascular medications, hospitalizations, general practice visits, clinical pathology and imaging studies, and use of rehabilitation services. Bottom-up costing was undertaken by assigning unit costs to each health care item, based on Australian government reimbursement data for 2006-2007. Costs were estimated in Australian dollars.


RESULTS
Data for 2873 Australian participants in the REACH Registry were included in the analysis. Mean (SD) annual pharmaceutical costs per person were A$1388 (A$645). Mean ambulatory care costs per person were A$704 (A$492), and mean hospitalization costs were A$10,711 (A$10,494). Compared with participants with >or=3 risk factors (adjusted for age and sex), participants with 2 to 3 affected vascular territories incurred A$160 more in mean pharmaceutical costs (95% CI, 78 to 256) and A$181 more in ambulatory care costs (95% CI, 107 to 252). Mean ambulatory care costs were A$132 greater among participants with PAD only relative to those with >or=3 risk factors (95% CI, 19 to 272). Hospital costs were not significantly increased with an increasing number of affected vascular territories. The greatest difference in direct hospital costs (A$943) was between participants with PAD relative to those with >or=3 risk factors (95% CI, -564 to 3545).


CONCLUSIONS
From the government perspective, management of atherothrombotic disease in Australia was costly during the period studied, particularly among those with PAD only or disease affecting 2 to 3 vascular territories. Hospitalization accounted for the majority of health care expenditure associated with atherothrombotic disease, although the number of hospitalized participants was relatively small.
Ademi
Zanfina
Z
Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. Zanfina.Ademi@med.monash.edu.au
Liew
Danny
D
Hollingsworth
Bruce
B
Wolfe
Rory
R
Steg
Gabriel P
GP
Bhatt
Deepak L
DL
Reid
Christopher M
CM
D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics*; D001315:Australia; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007345:Insurance Claim Review / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000191:economics; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics*