title: Economic burden of surgically confirmed endometriosis in Canada.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the societal economic burden of illness caused by surgically confirmed endometriosis in Canada in 2009, including direct health care costs, lost productivity, and lost leisure time costs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a cross-sectional design, direct health care resource use data were obtained from nine family physicians and nine gynaecologists from across Canada, who were experienced in the treatment of women with surgically confirmed endometriosis. Data on alternative treatments and health care providers, as well as work absenteeism, lost leisure time, and caregiver time were obtained from a convenience sample of 27 women with endometriosis treated at two gynaecology clinics in Alberta and Quebec. Unit costs were assigned to resource use items for treatment-seeking patients, and total costs for each resource use item were aggregated to estimate the societal costs of endometriosis in Canada in 2009, across all prevalent cases of surgically confirmed endometriosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The estimated mean annual societal cost of endometriosis was $5,200 per patient (95% CI $3,700 to $7,100), with lost productivity and lost leisure time costs accounting for 78%. Extrapolating these figures yields an estimated total annual cost to Canadian society of $1.8 billion (95% CI $1.3 billion to $2.4 billion) attributable to surgically confirmed endometriosis in Canada.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For some women, surgically confirmed endometriosis has a substantial negative impact that can result in suffering to the individual and her family, and lead to substantial productivity losses. Understanding the interplay between direct costs, lost productivity, and quality of life is critical for accurately identifying and evaluating effective treatments for this condition.
authors.affiliation: Oxford Outcomes Ltd., Vancouver BC; Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax NS.
authors.forename: Adrian R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.affiliation: Oxford Outcomes Ltd., Vancouver BC.
authors.forename: Katherine M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Osenenko
authors.affiliation: Oxford Outcomes Ltd., Vancouver BC.
authors.forename: Greta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lozano-Ortega
authors.affiliation: Oxford Outcomes Ltd., Vancouver BC.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sambrook
authors.affiliation: Bayer HealthCare, Toronto ON.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jeddi
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Montreal, Montreal QC.
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bélisle
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Queen's University, Kingston ON.
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Reid
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D000416:Alberta; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004180:Direct Service Costs; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D011792:Quebec; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014478:Unemployment