Angelo Lize, Gokul Akilesh, Samuels Isaac, McGhee Charles Nj, Ziaei Mohammed
Ophthalmology Department, The University of Auckland, Grafton, New Zealand.
Clin Exp Optom. 2024 Oct 13:1-6. doi: 10.1080/08164622.2024.2410026.
Few studies have investigated the economic burden of keratoconus to patients and society including a patient's lifetime expenditure. Analysing disease cost is important in advocating funding and planning for appropriate management and treatment.
Keratoconus can be an expensive disease, including costs associated with visual rehabilitation and surgery. This study aimed to assess direct and indirect expenditures incurred by keratoconus subjects, to estimate the lifetime per capita cost and the total costs of keratoconus per year in Auckland, New Zealand.
A cross-sectional study where participants with keratoconus were recruited from public and private clinics to complete an anonymous questionnaire. A keratoconus health expenditure questionnaire was used to assess direct and indirect expenditures for participants. Estimated lifetime per capita costs and total direct and indirect costs associated with keratoconus were calculated.
Responses from 110 participants were recorded. Most participants (55.5%) were between the ages of 21 and 30, 59.1% were male, and Pacific People were over-represented (14.5%) compared to the national population. The prevalence of visual rehabilitation was low with 74.5% of participants never wearing contact lenses and 32.7% of subjects wearing spectacles purchased over 24 months prior. Few participants (26.5%) had subsidised care, including private health insurance with optical cover or the contact lens subsidy. Total direct and indirect costs are estimated to be NZD 30.9 million per year with an estimated lifetime per capita out-of-pocket cost of NZD 79,254.
Subjects with keratoconus experience significant direct and indirect costs with limited subsidisation from the government and private health insurance. The significant out-of-pocket costs required for managing keratoconus are likely a significant barrier to accessing appropriate visual rehabilitation in New Zealand.
很少有研究调查圆锥角膜给患者和社会带来的经济负担，包括患者一生的支出。分析疾病成本对于争取资金以及规划适当的管理和治疗至关重要。
圆锥角膜可能是一种费用高昂的疾病，包括与视力康复和手术相关的费用。本研究旨在评估圆锥角膜患者产生的直接和间接支出，以估算新西兰奥克兰圆锥角膜的人均终身成本以及每年的总成本。
一项横断面研究，从公立和私立诊所招募圆锥角膜患者来完成一份匿名问卷。使用圆锥角膜健康支出问卷来评估参与者的直接和间接支出。计算了估计的人均终身成本以及与圆锥角膜相关的直接和间接总成本。
记录了110名参与者的回复。大多数参与者（55.5%）年龄在21至30岁之间，59.1%为男性，与全国人口相比，太平洋岛民占比过高（14.5%）。视力康复的普及率较低，74.5%的参与者从未佩戴过隐形眼镜，32.7%的受试者佩戴的眼镜是在24个月以前购买的。很少有参与者（26.5%）获得补贴护理，包括有配镜保险的私人医疗保险或隐形眼镜补贴。估计每年的直接和间接总成本为3090万新西兰元，估计人均终身自付成本为79254新西兰元。
圆锥角膜患者经历了巨大的直接和间接成本，而政府和私人医疗保险的补贴有限。在新西兰，管理圆锥角膜所需的高额自付成本可能是获得适当视力康复的重大障碍。
