title: The economic burden of adult asthma in Cyprus; a prevalence-based cost of illness study.
abstract: Asthma is one of the main non-infectious diseases of the respiratory system with substantial economic burden worldwide. The objective of this study was to estimate the economic burden of adult asthma in Cyprus during 2015.
  
  
  
  A retrospective probabilistic prevalence-based cost of illness model was developed to calculate the economic burden of asthma including direct and indirect costs. The bottom-up approach (person-based data) was used for the calculation of direct costs while for the calculation of indirect costs the approach of human capital was employed. In addition, bootstrapped sensitivity analysis with 1000 bootstrap simulations was performed in order to calculate a 95% Confidence Interval (CI).
  
  
  
  Mean patient cost of asthma in Cyprus in 2015 was estimated at €579.64 (95% CI: €376.90-€813.68). Direct costs accounted for 82.08% of the overall expenses, €475.75 per patient (95% CI: €296.94-€697.69). Indirect costs of €103.89 (95% CI: €49.59-€181.46) accounted for 17.92% of the overall expenses.
  
  
  
  This was the first study in Cyprus, which used bootstrapped prevalence-based cost of illness model to estimate the cost of asthma. This study confirms that asthma is an expensive disease for the society. In addition, it provides important information and analysis of the economic consequences of asthma to policy makers in order to strengthen surveillance of the disease as well as draft the national health policy accordingly.
authors.affiliation: DG European Programmes, Coordination and Development, 29 Byron Avenue, 1096, Nicosia, Cyprus. zannetos@gmail.com.|Open University of Cyprus, 33 Giannou Kranidioti Avenue, 2220, Latsia, Nicosia, Cyprus. zannetos@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Savvas
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2393-6667
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zannetos
authors.affiliation: Engomi Primary Heath Care Centre, Nikou Kranidioti & Macedonia, Nicosia, 2411, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Theodora
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zachariadou
authors.affiliation: American Medical Centre, 215, Spyrou Kyprianou Avenue, 2047, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zachariades
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Department Clinic, Nicosia General Hospital, 215 Nicosia - Limassol Old Road, 2029, Strovolos, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Georgiou
authors.affiliation: Open University of Cyprus, 33 Giannou Kranidioti Avenue, 2220, Latsia, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Talias
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003535:Cyprus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Asthma; Burden of disease; Cost of illness; Cyprus