title: Economic impact of multiple sclerosis in Italy: focus on rehabilitation costs.
abstract: The study estimates the cost of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Italy quantifying the impact of the rehabilitation on cost of illness. Patients with MS were enrolled at MS clinical centres, in rehabilitation units and among members with MS of the Italian MS Society across the Italy. The MS costs were captured with a questionnaire and were estimated taking into account both healthcare and non-healthcare costs as well as the productivity losses. Mean total annual costs per patients were €37,948, increasing for different disease severity: from €22,750 at an EDSS score of 0-3 to €63,047 at an EDSS score equal to or more than 7. €3,418 was due to rehabilitation (about 26.7% of direct healthcare costs) and of these 44% was attributable to admission to rehabilitation. The multivariate analysis showed a consistent trend toward increased total cost with progressive severity of MS, with presence of relapses, while the total cost decreases with a better quality of life. The burden increases as the MS becomes more severe and with relapse occurrence, moreover we observed high costs due to admission to rehabilitation suggesting that different rehabilitation setting might be considered to reduce the financial burden and increase the quality of life for person with MS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, Italian Foundation of Multiple Sclerosis, via Operai 40, 16149, Genoa, Italy, michela.ponzio@aism.it.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ponzio
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gerzeli
authors.forename: Giampaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brichetto
authors.forename: Daiana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bezzini
authors.forename: Gian Luigi
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Mancardi
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zaratin
authors.forename: Mario Alberto
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Battaglia
mesh_terms: D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
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