Direct Medical Costs (Including Prescriptions) in Thailand Represent a
Markedly Higher Percentage of Total Costs Than in Other Countries
Lawrenceville, NJ, USA—October 21, 2019—Value in Health, the official journal of ISPOR—the professional society for health economics and outcomes research, announced today the publication of an analysis showing that direct medical costs are the major cost driver of Alzheimer’s disease care in Thailand, a finding distinct from other countries across the world. The report, “A Real-World Evidence Analysis of Associations Among Costs, Quality of Life, and Disease-Severity Indicators of Alzheimer’s Disease in Thailand,” was published in the October 2019 issue of Value in Health.
Researchers collected real-world cost and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) data in Alzheimer’s disease patients in Thailand, then investigated their associations with multiple disease-severity indicators. Among community-dwelling patients, average annual total societal costs of Alzheimer’s disease care were $8014 per patient. Total costs of patients with severe stage ($9860) were almost twice as high as those of mild stage ($5524). Importantly, the major cost driver was direct medical costs, particularly those for Alzheimer’s disease prescriptions. The research also determined that increases in cognitive and functional status are significantly associated with decreases in total costs of Alzheimer’s disease care and improvement in patient’s HRQOL.
When comparing the cost of Alzheimer’s disease treatment in Thailand with that in other countries, the authors found substantive disparities. Direct medical costs, constituting 47.2% of the total costs in Thailand, represented a markedly higher percentage of total costs than in other studied countries. Notably, the costs incurred by Alzheimer’s disease prescriptions in Thailand were the largest part (39.8%) of direct medical costs.
“Our research was guided by the recognition that differences in cultural characteristics and healthcare settings can cause significant variations in Alzheimer’s disease cost estimates,” said author Nathorn Chaiyakunapruk, PharmD, PhD, Department of Pharmacotherapy, University of Utah College of Pharmacy, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. “Therefore, it is important that each country has its own cost data to precisely discern the extent of impact that Alzheimer’s disease imposes on their economy. We found that direct medical costs were the major cost driver of Alzheimer’s disease care in Thailand, which is distinct from other countries across the world. Country-specific cost data are essential, because available data from other countries in the same region or income-country group may not be representative of all countries. Cost-effectiveness evidence is warranted to help governments curb the costliness of Alzheimer’s disease medications.”
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ISPOR, the professional society for health economics and outcomes research (HEOR), is an international, multistakeholder, nonprofit dedicated to advancing HEOR excellence to improve decision making for health globally. The Society is the leading source for scientific conferences, peer-reviewed and MEDLINE®-indexed publications, good practices guidance, education, collaboration, and tools/resources in the field.
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ABOUT VALUE IN HEALTH
Value in Health (ISSN 1098-3015) is an international, indexed journal that publishes original research and health policy articles that advance the field of health economics and outcomes research to help healthcare leaders make evidence-based decisions. The journal’s 2018 impact factor score is 5.037. Value in Health is ranked 4th among 81 journals in health policy and services, 5th among 98 journals in healthcare sciences and services, and 11th among 363 journals in economics. Value in Health is a monthly publication that circulates to more than 10,000 readers around the world.
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