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Cost of asthma in the Asia-Pacific region

C. K. W. Lai^*, Y-Y. Kim^#, S-H. Kuo^||, M. Spencer, A. E. Williams on behalf of the Asthma Insights and Reality in Asia Pacific Steering Committee

^* Dept of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. ^# Dept of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea, ^|| Depts of Laboratory Medicine and Internal Medicine, College of Medicine National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. GlaxoSmithKline R&D Ltd, Greenford, UK.

CORRESPONDENCE: C. K. W. Lai, Room 1403, Takshing House, 20 Des Voeux Road Central, Hong Kong. Fax: 852 25222188. E-mail: keilai{at}netvigator.com

The substantial morbidity caused by asthma suggests that the disease is associated with a large economic burden. The current study analysed the burden of asthma in eight countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Responses to questions regarding resource use from a survey of people with asthma were analysed. Unit costs were obtained for each resource use element. Individual patient costs were estimated and means calculated for each country. A multivariate model was developed to identify potential predictors of resource use.

Annual per-patient direct costs ranged from US$108 for Malaysia to US$1,010 for Hong Kong. When productivity costs were included, total per-patient societal costs ranged from US$184 in Vietnam to US$1,189 in Hong Kong. Urgent care costs were responsible for 18–90% of total per-patient direct costs. Overall, total per-patient direct costs were equivalent to 13% of per capita gross domestic product and 300% of per capita healthcare spending. Extremes of age, greater severity of asthma, and poorer general health status were predictive of high cost.

The per-patient cost of asthma in these countries is high, particularly when seen in the context of overall per-patient healthcare spending. Strategies to improve asthma control are likely to not only improve patient outcomes, but also to decrease societal costs.

KEYWORDS: Asia Pacific, asthma, asthma control, Far East, healthcare costs