Dalhousie University, Halifax Nova Scotia, Canada.
Can J Ophthalmol. 2011 Aug;46(4):315-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjo.2011.06.006. Epub 2011 Jul 7.
This study was conducted to provide the financial underpinnings necessary for effective planning for the provision of eye health services in Canada. Canada is facing an aging demographic and all the major eye diseases are diseases associated with aging. It is essential that we have information based on the best available data to support national and provincial vision health plans.
The design associated with the prevalence-based approach used in this study was outlined previously in detail in The Cost of Vision Loss in Canada: Methodology.
The methods associated with the prevalence-based approach used in this study were previously outlined in detail in The Cost of Vision Loss in Canada: Methodology.
The financial cost of VL in Canada in 2007 was estimated to be $15.8 billion per annum: $8.6 billion (54.6%) represents direct health system expenditure; $4.4 billion (28.0%) was productivity lost due to lower employment, higher absenteeism, and premature death of Canadians with VL; $1.8 billion (11.1%) was the dead weight losses (DWL) from transfers including welfare payments and taxation forgone; $0.7 billion (4.4%) was the value of the care for people with VL; $305 million (1.9%) was other indirect costs such as aids and home modifications and the bring forward of funeral costs. Additionally, the value of the lost well-being (disability and premature death) was estimated at a further $11.7 billion. In per capita terms, this amounts to a financial cost of $19370 per person with VL per annum. Including the value of lost well-being, the cost is $33704 per person per annum.
There is a growing awareness in Canada and around the world of the impact of VL on health costs and on the economy in general. This awareness is supported by the growing number of independent studies on the cost of vision loss both nationally and globally. Because most of these studies are limited by the minimal amount of available data, the overall cost of vision loss is likely underestimated. Nevertheless, this study reports the cost of vision loss in Canada as being greater than previously reported, making the problem even more urgent to address. A comprehensive national vision health plan, that is a coordinated federal, provincial and territorial initiative dealing with all aspects of vision loss prevention, sight restoration, and vision rehabilitation is called for.
本研究旨在为加拿大提供眼保健服务提供必要的财务支持。加拿大正面临人口老龄化问题，所有主要的眼部疾病都是与衰老相关的疾病。我们必须根据最佳现有数据提供信息，以支持国家和省级视力健康计划。
本研究中使用的基于患病率的方法的设计之前已在《加拿大视力丧失的成本：方法》中详细概述。
本研究中使用的基于患病率的方法之前已在《加拿大视力丧失的成本：方法》中详细概述。
2007 年加拿大 VL 的财务成本估计为每年 158 亿美元：86 亿美元（54.6%）代表直接卫生系统支出；44 亿美元（28.0%）是由于加拿大 VL 患者就业减少、旷工率提高和过早死亡而导致的生产力损失；18 亿美元（11.1%）是福利支出和税收减免等转移的死重量损失（DWL）；7000 万美元（4.4%）是 VL 患者护理的价值；3050 万美元（1.9%）是其他间接成本，如辅助器具和家庭改造以及提前支付的葬礼费用。此外，丧失健康（残疾和过早死亡）的价值估计为 11.7 亿美元。按人均计算，这相当于每年每位 VL 患者 19370 美元的财务成本。包括丧失健康的价值，每人每年的费用为 33704 美元。
加拿大和世界各地越来越意识到 VL 对健康成本和整体经济的影响。这种意识得到了越来越多的关于国家和全球视力丧失成本的独立研究的支持。由于这些研究大多受到可用数据量的限制，视力丧失的总成本可能被低估。尽管如此，本研究报告称加拿大的视力丧失成本高于之前的报告，这使得解决这个问题更加紧迫。需要制定一项全面的国家视力健康计划，这是一项联邦、省和地区协调的倡议，涉及预防视力丧失、恢复视力和视力康复的所有方面。
