Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, 02-969 Kremowa 13, Warsaw, Poland.
Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res. 2006 Apr;6(2):145-54. doi: 10.1586/14737167.6.2.145.
The purpose of this article is to provide a critical evaluation of the available literature describing the economic burden of multiple sclerosis and to assess the gaps in information. The studies included in this review describe costs in patients categorized into severity groups according to the Expanded Disability Status Scale levels. Despite the differences in methodology, as well as differences between countries in absolute and relative prices and organization of healthcare systems, all cost-of-illness studies demonstrate that multiple sclerosis represents a major financial burden on the individual, family, health services and society in all countries studied, and that a positive relationship exists between costs (both direct and indirect) and level of disability measured by Expanded Disability Status Scale level. The results of the cost-of-illness studies in the field of multiple sclerosis can be used as an input into future economic evaluation, but provide no useful information about future resource allocation on their own. The current focus of future research efforts should be in refining economic methods, specifically for indirect costs, improving interpretation and communication of study findings and conducting cost-effectiveness assessments of interventions based on results of cost-of-illness studies. Further research should be targeted to patients treated with new disease-modifying drugs.
本文旨在对描述多发性硬化症经济负担的现有文献进行批判性评价，并评估信息缺口。本综述中纳入的研究根据扩展残疾状况量表（EDSS）水平将患者分为严重程度组，描述了各组的成本情况。尽管这些研究在方法学上存在差异，而且各国之间的绝对和相对价格以及医疗保健系统的组织也存在差异，但所有疾病负担研究都表明，多发性硬化症在所有研究国家都给个人、家庭、卫生服务和社会带来了重大的经济负担，并且费用（直接和间接费用）与 EDSS 水平之间存在正相关关系。多发性硬化症领域疾病负担研究的结果可作为未来经济评估的依据，但单凭这些结果无法提供有关未来资源配置的有用信息。未来研究工作的重点应放在完善经济方法上，特别是针对间接成本，改进研究结果的解释和交流，并根据疾病负担研究的结果开展干预措施的成本效益评估。应针对接受新型疾病修正药物治疗的患者开展进一步研究。
