title: The evaluation of cost-of-illness due to use of cost-of-illness-based chemicals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study is conducted to estimate the cost paid by the public suffering from disease possibly caused by chemical and to examine the effect on public health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cost-benefit analysis is an important factor in analysis and decision-making and is an important policy decision tool in many countries. Cost-of-illness (COI), a kind of scale-based analysis method, estimates the potential value lost as a result of illness as a monetary unit and calculates the cost in terms of direct, indirect and psychological costs. This study estimates direct medical costs, transportation fees for hospitalization and outpatient treatment, and nursing fees through a number of patients suffering from disease caused by chemicals in order to analyze COI, taking into account the cost of productivity loss as an indirect cost.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total yearly cost of the diseases studied in 2012 is calculated as 77 million Korean won (KRW) per person. The direct and indirect costs being 52 million KRW and 23 million KRW, respectively. Within the total cost of illness, mental and behavioral disability costs amounted to 16 million KRW, relevant blood immunological parameters costs were 7.4 million KRW, and disease of the nervous system costs were 6.7 million KRW.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study reports on a survey conducted by experts regarding diseases possibly caused by chemicals and estimates the cost for the general public. The results can be used to formulate a basic report for a social-economic evaluation of the permitted use of chemicals and limits of usage.
authors.affiliation: Enterprise Risk Service Deloitte Anjin LLC, Seoul, Korea ; Department of Environmental Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Jiyeon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Research, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yongjin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Research, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Geonwoo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Research, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hanseul
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Research, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jiyeon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
keywords: Cost-benefit analysis; Cost-of-illness; Diseases caused by chemicals