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Health economic analysis shows high return on investment from glaucoma treatment
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PRAGUE — Treating glaucoma saves sight and money and should be seen as an investment rather than a burden, according to one speaker here at the European Glaucoma Society Congress.
“We could certainly save money by reducing visual field test frequency, decreasing the number of patient visits or using cheaper drugs. However, what we should think of is not just cost, but the balance between cost and what we get in return for it,” Carroll Webers, MD, said.
Carroll Webers
Treating potentially blinding conditions also is a priority for societies from the point of view of health economics.
“The direct medical cost of treating cataract in the Netherlands is 180 million per year. If we stopped treating patients, there would be 450,000 blind people. Just 1 hour of home care per day at the cheap rate of 35 per hour would amount to over 5.7 billion per year. If we put these poor people in a cheap nursing home at the rate of 100 per day, that would cost over 16 billion per year. By treating cataract, we save a lot of money,” Webers said.
Using a discrete simulation model for glaucoma, synthesizing all available evidence on disease progression and effect of treatment, Webers compared the scenario of no treatment vs. the usual care and showed that in the no treatment scenario costs are double.
“The difference is related to costs for care. No treatment leads to a very high number of blind patients, and blindness is a very costly state of health. By treating glaucoma, we save over 184 million per year,” he said.
Value-based medicine studies in the U.S. have calculated that taking into account the indirect costs of decreased vision, including need for caregivers, unemployment and other factors, the return on investment of topical timolol therapy is almost 400% over a 13-year period, he said. – by Michela Cimberle
Reference:
Webers C. Sustainable costs. Presented at: European Glaucoma Society Congress; June 19-22, 2016; Prague.
Disclosure: Webers reports he is a consultant to Alcon, Allergan, MSD and Santen.