title: Clinical and health care aspects of respiratory tract disorders in Poland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Respiratory diseases constitute a public health priority worldwide. This is related to the increasing exposure to microorganisms, toxic factors, allergens, drugs and smoking, as the most important factors. Increasing costs of health promotion, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of respiratory tract diseases forces the search for effective strategies in the reduction of costs without making a significant impact of these activities on health results. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an example of these diseases with increasing incidence, which has few known modifiable factors and absorbs large medical and social costs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to present the conception of cost driver analysis that could be useful in constructing a good combination of the EBM-based treatment with cost reduction decisions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of cost drivers was based on the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines and Polish recommendations of COPD diagnosis and treatment. The proposition of cost reduction strategy in COPD treatment was based on identification of cost drivers in value chain conception.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An increasing incidence and treatment costs of COPD force the search for methods of costs reduction in health care. Identifying, evaluating and modifying the cost drivers with use of the value chain conception could be an effective method in achieving these objectives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Care, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kanecki
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zycinska
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Care, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tyszko
mesh_terms: D017046:Cost Savings; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000191:economics; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D011044:Poland; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*