Cost-effectiveness of smoking cessation and the implications for COPD.

The cost burden of COPD is substantial for patients and families, payers, and society as a whole. Smoking has been known for decades to be the leading cause of the disease. Numerous studies have been completed to address the cost-effectiveness of programs created to aid smokers in their efforts to quit. Because several assumptions must be made in order to conduct such a study, and because differences in study design are numerous, comparison of data is difficult. However, studies have consistently shown that regardless of the perspective from which the study was completed, or the methods used to help smokers abstain, the interventions are cost-effective. Although no study has been conducted specifically to assess the cost-effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions as they relate directly to patients with COPD, based on current data it can be concluded that smoking cessation programs are cost-effective for this population.