title: Cost-of-illness of patients with systemic sclerosis in a tertiary care centre.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to assess the costs of SSc and to analyse cost drivers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey of consecutive patients with SSc was performed in a rheumatology centre in Hungary. Clinical characteristics, the European Scleroderma Study Group activity index, disease severity scale (DSS), scleroderma HAQ (S-HAQ) and health care utilization were recorded. Cost calculation was performed and correlation with clinical variables was analysed. Results were compared with RA and PsA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty patients were involved: 72 (90%) women, mean age (s.d.) 57.4 (9.6) years and disease duration of 6.2 (6.6) years and 25% of the cases had dcSSc. Mean total cost was 9619 (s.d. 6444) euros/patient/year with rate of indirect cost being 56%. Disability-related productivity loss (55.2%) and hospitalization (28.3%) were the highest among the cost items. Patients with dcSSc had significantly higher direct costs (P = 0.005) compared with the lcSSc subset. Disease activity showed significant correlation with total costs, DSS and S-HAQ with direct costs. SSc-related costs were higher than in matched RA and PsA cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cost-of-illness of SSc is high with a dominance of productivity loss related costs. Moreover, the disease activity is an important cost driver.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Clinic Center, University of Pécs, Pécs, Akác u. 1., H-7632, Hungary. tunde.minier@aok.pte.hu
authors.forename: Tünde
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Minier
authors.forename: Márta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Péntek
authors.forename: Valentin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brodszky
authors.forename: Adrienn
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ecseki
authors.forename: Krisztián
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kárpáti
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polgár
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Czirják
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gulácsi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000191:economics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index