Estimating the cost impact of atrial fibrillation using a prospective cohort study and population-based controls
Year: 2023
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: AIMS: Atrial fibrillation (AF) costs are expected to be substantial, but cost comparisons with the general population are scarce. Using data from the prospective Swiss-AF cohort study and population-based controls, we estimated the impact of AF on direct healthcare costs from the Swiss statutory health insurance perspective. METHODS: Swiss-AF patients, enrolled from 2014 to 2017, had documented, prevalent AF. We analysed 5 years of follow-up, where clinical data, and health insurance claims in 42% of the patients were collected on a yearly basis. Controls from a health insurance claims database were matched for demographics and region. The cost impact of AF was estimated using five different methods: (1) ordinary least square regression (OLS), (2) OLS-based two-part modelling, (3) generalised linear model-based two-part modelling, (4) 1:1 nearest neighbour propensity score matching and (5) a cost adjudication algorithm using Swiss-AF data non-comparatively and considering clinical data. Cost of illness at the Swiss national level was modelled using obtained cost estimates, prevalence from the Global Burden of Disease Project, and Swiss population data. RESULTS: The 1024 Swiss-AF patients with available claims data were compared with 16 556 controls without known AF. AF patients accrued CHF5600 (EUR5091) of AF-related direct healthcare costs per year, in addition to non-AF-related healthcare costs of CHF11100 (EUR10 091) per year accrued by AF patients and controls. All five methods yielded comparable results. AF-related costs at the national level were estimated to amount to 1% of Swiss healthcare expenditure. CONCLUSIONS: We robustly found direct medical costs of AF patients were 50% higher than those of population-based controls. Such information on the incremental cost burden of AF may support healthcare capacity planning.
Source: BMJ Open
Authors: Helena Aebersold, Fabienne Foster-Witassek, Miquel Serra-Burriel, Beat Brüngger, Stefanie Aeschbacher, Jürg-Hans Beer, Eva Blozik, Manuel Blum, Leo Bonati, David Conen, Giulio Conte, Stefan Felder, Carola Huber, Michael Kuehne, Giorgio Moschovitis, Andreas Mueller, Rebecca E Paladini, Tobias Reichlin, Nicolas Rodondi, Anne Springer, Annina Stauber, Christian Sticherling, Thomas Szucs, Stefan Osswald, Matthias Schwenkglenks
Institutions: University of Zurich, Helsana Group (Switzerland), University Hospital of Basel, Kantonsspital Baden, University of Bern, University Hospital of Bern, Reha Rheinfelden, Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Istituto Cardiocentro Ticino, University of Basel, Ospedale regionale di Lugano, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Triemli Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,202
Awards: G1752643403, La construction de la figure de Moïse dans la rencontre entre Jérusalem et Athènes. Plaidoyer pour un comparatisme renouvelé, G3830373416, Swiss Atrial Fibrillation Cohort Study, Health economic aspects of atrial fibrillation: analyses based on the Swiss-AF cohort study, G442412428, G4542678335, G5479434749, Mechanisms of cognitive decline in patients with atrial fibrillation: the Swiss AF-Brain Study, Health Consequences of the Burden of Atrial Fibrillation - The Swiss-AF-Burden study, Swiss Atrial Fibrillation Cohort Study
OpenAlex ID: W4386737828