title: Estimated hospital health costs of chronic abdominal pain in the Netherlands.
abstract: aim: Calculation of the hospital costs of chronic abdominal pain in the Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  We selected 'Diagnosis-Related Groups' (DRG) of disorders that are associated with chronic abdominal pain from a large teaching hospital and a tertiary referral centre. For each DRG we determined the percentage of patients that can present with abdominal pain. The total costs for both hospitals were calculated using the registered quantity of the DRGs. Each DRG was categorised by somatic and functional origin. The results were subsequently extrapolated to the entire Dutch population demanding hospital care for chronic abdominal pain. Finally, the percentage and associated costs were calculated for patients who had two or more separate diagnoses for chronic abdominal pain in the field of gastroenterology, gynaecology, internal medicine and urology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The yearly outpatient and (day) clinical health costs for patients with chronic abdominal pain in the Netherlands were approximately €623 million (gastroenterology €226 million; gynaecology €303 million; internal medicine €63 million; and urology €31 million). Of these diagnoses, 53.6% were related to functional disorders, which accounts for approximately €220 million per year. The yearly costs of patients who had at least two separate diagnoses within one year for chronic abdominal pain were estimated at €23.5 million per year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic abdominal pain is a common problem that entails significant healthcare costs in the Netherlands of which functional diagnoses compromise a significant amount.
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: L A W
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: E A H
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Knauff
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Löwenberg
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics*; D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000191:economics*; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands