New insights into the burden and costs of multiple sclerosis in Europe: Results for Poland.

BACKGROUND

In order to estimate the value of interventions in multiple sclerosis (MS) - where lifetime costs and outcomes cannot be observed - outcome data have to be combined with costs. This requires that cost data be regularly updated.

OBJECTIVE AND METHODS

This study is part of a cross-sectional retrospective study in 16 European countries collecting current data on resource consumption, work capacity, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and prevalent symptoms for patients with MS. Descriptive analyses are presented by level of severity, from the societal perspective, in 2015 Polish Zloty (PLN).

RESULTS

A total of 411 MS patients (mean age = 40 years) participated in Poland; 94% were below retirement age, and of these, 59% were employed. Employment was related to disability, and MS affected productivity for 85% of those working. Overall, 97% and 71% of patients experienced fatigue and cognition as important problems, respectively. Mean utility and total annual costs were 0.686 and 48,700 PLN at Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) 0-3, 0.521 and 59,200 PLN at EDSS 4-6.5 and 0.208 and 81,600 PLN at EDSS 7-9, respectively. The average cost of a relapse was 3,900 PLN.

CONCLUSION

This study illustrates the burden of MS on Polish patients and provides current data that are important for developing health policies.