Healthcare Costs for Parkinson’s Disease Patients in Taiwan
Author Information
Author(s): Chen Kuan-Chen, Ku Li-Jung Elizabeth, Hu Ya-Hui, Sun Yu, Elbaz Alexis, Lee Pei-Chen
Primary Institution: National Cheng Kung University
Hypothesis
This study aims to examine the medical resource utilization and medical costs for Parkinson’s disease patients in Taiwan over up to 15 years of follow-up.
Conclusion
Parkinson’s disease imposes a significant economic burden in Taiwan, with medical costs being substantially higher than those of non-PD individuals and increasing with disease severity.
Supporting Evidence
- PD patients incurred 1.31 times higher total medical costs than non-PD subjects.
- The average total drug costs for PD patients were 1.59 times higher than for non-PD subjects.
- Costs increased significantly with the severity of Parkinson’s disease.
Takeaway
People with Parkinson’s disease in Taiwan spend a lot more on healthcare than those without it, and the costs go up as the disease gets worse.
Methodology
The study used a population-based cohort design, analyzing data from the National Health Insurance research database to compare healthcare utilization and costs between PD patients and matched non-PD subjects.
Potential Biases
The reliance on diagnostic coding may introduce biases if coding errors or variations exist.
Limitations
The study does not account for long-term care costs, which may underestimate the economic burden of Parkinson’s disease, especially in severe cases.
Participant Demographics
The sample included 50,290 PD patients and 201,153 matched non-PD subjects, with a mean age of 72.4 years and a gender distribution of 49% females.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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