Department of Health Information and Decision Sciences (CIDES), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, s/n, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal.
Centre for Research in Health Technologies and Information Systems (CINTESIS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Eur J Health Econ. 2016 Jan;17(1):87-98. doi: 10.1007/s10198-014-0659-4. Epub 2014 Nov 22.
In addition to its high frequency and relevant individual and social impact, chronic pain (CP) has been shown to be a major contributor to increased healthcare utilisation, reduced labour productivity, and consequently large direct and indirect costs. In the context of a larger nationwide study, we aimed to assess the total annual direct and indirect costs associated with CP in Portugal. A population-based study was conducted in a representative sample of the Portuguese adult population. The 5,094 participants were selected using random digit dialling and contacted by computer-assisted telephone interviews. Questionnaires included the brief pain inventory and pain disability index. Estimates were adequately weighted for the population. From all CP subjects identified, a subsample (n = 562) accepted to participate in this economic study. Mean total annualised costs per CP subject of €1,883.30 were observed, amounting to €4,611.69 million nationally, with 42.7% direct and 57.3% indirect costs, and corresponding to 2.71% of the Portuguese annual GDP in 2010. Only socio-demographic variables were significantly and independently associated with CP costs, and not CP severity, raising the possibility of existing inequalities in the distribution of healthcare in Portugal. The high economic impact of CP in Portugal was comprehensively demonstrated. Given the high indirect costs observed, restricting healthcare services is not a rational response to these high societal costs; instead improving the quality of CP prevention and management is recommended.
除了高频率和相关的个人和社会影响外，慢性疼痛（CP）已被证明是增加医疗保健利用、降低劳动力生产力的主要因素，因此直接和间接成本巨大。在一项更大的全国性研究中，我们旨在评估葡萄牙与 CP 相关的总年度直接和间接成本。这项基于人群的研究在葡萄牙成年人群的代表性样本中进行。使用随机数字拨号选择了 5094 名参与者，并通过计算机辅助电话访谈联系他们。问卷包括简短疼痛清单和疼痛残疾指数。估计值根据人口进行了充分加权。从所有确定的 CP 患者中，抽取了一个亚组（n=562）接受这项经济研究。每个 CP 患者的平均年化总成本为 1883.30 欧元，全国总额为 46.1169 亿欧元，其中直接成本占 42.7%，间接成本占 57.3%，相当于 2010 年葡萄牙年度 GDP 的 2.71%。只有社会人口统计学变量与 CP 成本显著且独立相关，而不是 CP 严重程度，这增加了葡萄牙医疗保健分配中存在不平等的可能性。葡萄牙 CP 的高经济影响得到了全面证明。鉴于观察到的高间接成本，限制医疗服务并不是对这些高社会成本的合理反应；相反，建议提高 CP 预防和管理的质量。
