The epidemiology, healthcare and societal burden and costs of asthma in the UK and its member nations: analyses of standalone and linked national databases
Year: 2016
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: There are a lack of reliable data on the epidemiology and associated burden and costs of asthma. We sought to provide the first UK-wide estimates of the epidemiology, healthcare utilisation and costs of asthma. METHODS: We obtained and analysed asthma-relevant data from 27 datasets: these comprised national health surveys for 2010-11, and routine administrative, health and social care datasets for 2011-12; 2011-12 costs were estimated in pounds sterling using economic modelling. RESULTS: The prevalence of asthma depended on the definition and data source used. The UK lifetime prevalence of patient-reported symptoms suggestive of asthma was 29.5 % (95 % CI, 27.7-31.3; n = 18.5 million (m) people) and 15.6 % (14.3-16.9, n = 9.8 m) for patient-reported clinician-diagnosed asthma. The annual prevalence of patient-reported clinician-diagnosed-and-treated asthma was 9.6 % (8.9-10.3, n = 6.0 m) and of clinician-reported, diagnosed-and-treated asthma 5.7 % (5.7-5.7; n = 3.6 m). Asthma resulted in at least 6.3 m primary care consultations, 93,000 hospital in-patient episodes, 1800 intensive-care unit episodes and 36,800 disability living allowance claims. The costs of asthma were estimated at least £1.1 billion: 74 % of these costs were for provision of primary care services (60 % prescribing, 14 % consultations), 13 % for disability claims, and 12 % for hospital care. There were 1160 asthma deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Asthma is very common and is responsible for considerable morbidity, healthcare utilisation and financial costs to the UK public sector. Greater policy focus on primary care provision is needed to reduce the risk of asthma exacerbations, hospitalisations and deaths, and reduce costs.
Source: BMC Medicine
Authors: Mome Mukherjee, Andrew Stoddart, Ramyani P. Gupta, Bright I. Nwaru, Angela Farr, Martin Heaven, Deborah Fitzsimmons, Amrita Bandyopadhyay, Chantelle Aftab, Colin R. Simpson, Ronan A. Lyons, Colin Fischbacher, Christopher Dibben, Michael D. Shields, Ceri J. Phillips, David P. Strachan, Gwyneth A. Davies, Brian McKinstry, Aziz Sheikh
Institutions: Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, University of Edinburgh, St George's, University of London, Tampere University, University of Tampere, Swansea University, Farr Institute, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, National Health Service Scotland, Queen's University Belfast
Language: English
Subfield: Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,495
Funders: Johns Hopkins University, National Institute for Social Care and Health Research, Wellcome Trust, NHS Health Scotland, Cancer Research UK, British Heart Foundation, Asthma and Lung UK, University of Edinburgh, Versus Arthritis, Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Medical Research Council, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council
Awards: G1134521639, Centre for Administrative Data Research and Evaluation (CADRE) - an ESRC Administrative Data Research Centre, The Scottish eHealth Informatics Research Centre, MICA: The Scottish eHealth Informatics Research Centre, Centre for Improvement of Population Health through E-health Research (CIPHER), G5541064567, MICA: Centre for the Improvement of Population Health through E-health Research (CIPHER)
OpenAlex ID: W2490831979