Weyer-Wendl Hannah, Walter Peter
Department of Ophthalmology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Health Econ Rev. 2016 Dec;6(1):37. doi: 10.1186/s13561-016-0116-4. Epub 2016 Aug 26.
The purpose of this research is to quantify the cost burden, care times and the impact on the quality of life (QoL) of informal caring relatives caring for patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). Moreover we investigated the impact of care times on the QoL.
Through a specifically designed questionnaire, 150 caring relatives were interviewed retrospectively on all accrued financial costs, caring times incurred and the current QoL, assessed by a Visual Analogue Scale for happiness (VAS).
The caring time incurred was on average 6.4 ± 8.5 (mean +/- SD) hours per week. The QoL was on average rated at 6.7 ± 1.9 on a ten point scale. Financial strain was incurred by the direct non-medical costs of on average € 405 ± 1104 and the direct medical costs of on average € 134 ± 340 per year. Indirect costs were stated by two caregivers as amounting to € 2400 and € 6000 net income loss per year respectively. Caregivers of privately insured patients with wet AMD carried a financial cost burden which was up to six times higher than caregivers of patients who were on state insurance while showing the same visual acuity.
The evaluation shows that caregivers of privately insured patients with wet AMD have higher costs than caregivers of patients with state insurance coverage. This burden seems to be a factor to be considered independently since it does not appear to have any relation to patients AMD acuity.
本研究旨在量化照顾湿性年龄相关性黄斑变性（湿性AMD）患者的非正式照顾亲属的成本负担、护理时间以及对生活质量（QoL）的影响。此外，我们还研究了护理时间对生活质量的影响。
通过一份专门设计的问卷，对150名照顾亲属进行回顾性访谈，了解所有产生的财务成本、护理时间以及目前的生活质量，生活质量通过视觉模拟幸福量表（VAS）进行评估。
每周的平均护理时间为6.4±8.5（均值±标准差）小时。生活质量在十分制量表上的平均评分为6.7±1.9。每年平均直接非医疗成本为405±1104欧元，直接医疗成本为134±340欧元，由此产生了财务压力。两名照顾者表示间接成本分别为每年净收入损失2400欧元和6000欧元。患有湿性AMD的私人保险患者的照顾者所承担的财务成本负担比视力相同但享受国家保险的患者的照顾者高出多达六倍。
评估表明，患有湿性AMD的私人保险患者的照顾者比享受国家保险的患者的照顾者成本更高。这种负担似乎是一个需要独立考虑的因素，因为它似乎与患者的AMD视力没有任何关系。
