title: Spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury: a cost-of-illness study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Among traumatic injuries, spinal cord injuries (SCI) and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are of major importance because of their epidemiological and economic impact on society. The overall objective of this study was to estimate the economic cost associated with people with SCI and TBI in Spain in 2007.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cost-of-illness analysis was performed, considering the perspective of society, using a 1-year time horizon. Medical costs, adaptation costs, material costs, administrative costs, and costs of police, firefighters and roadside assistance, productivity losses due to institutionalization and sick leave, as well as an estimate of productivity losses of carers, and productivity losses due to death were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The economic cost associated with people with SCI is between EUR 92,087,080.97 and 212,496,196.41 (USD 131 million and 302 million) according to the injury mechanism, and between EUR 1,079,223,688.66 and 3,833,752,692.78 (USD 1,536 million and 5,458 million) for people with TBI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is an urgent need to develop effective interventions known to prevent SCI and TBI, and to evaluate their effectiveness and efficiency.
authors: Agència d'Informació, Avaluació i Qualitat en Salut, Barcelona, Spain. agarciaaltes@aatrm.catsalut.cat
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: García-Altés
authors: Katherine
authors: K
authors: Pérez
authors: Ana
authors: A
authors: Novoa
authors: Josep M
authors: JM
authors: Suelves
authors: Montserrat
authors: M
authors: Bernabeu
authors: Joan
authors: J
authors: Vidal
authors: Vita
authors: V
authors: Arrufat
authors: Elena
authors: E
authors: Santamariña-Rubio
authors: Josep
authors: J
authors: Ferrando
authors: Mar
authors: M
authors: Cogollos
authors: Carlos Martín
authors: CM
authors: Cantera
authors: Juan Carlos González
authors: JC
authors: Luque
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000191:economics*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000191:economics; D013030:Spain; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000191:economics*