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Economic burden of blindness and visual impairment in Germany from a societal perspective: a cost-of-illness study

Author

Listed:
  • Yuliya Chuvarayan

    (University of Wuppertal)

  • Robert P. Finger

    (University of Bonn)

  • Juliane Köberlein-Neu

    (University of Wuppertal)

Abstract

Background Visual impairment and blindness cause a considerable and increasing economic burden affecting not only persons with vision loss and their families, but also societies. For the majority of countries, there is no solid database that would allow a comprehensive assessment of costs from a societal perspective. The present study was conducted to fill this gap. Objectives To investigate resource utilization of blind or visually impaired people and to assess the economic burden of blindness and visual impairment in Germany. Methods This cross-sectional cost-of-illness study measures the economic burden of blindness and visual impairment bottom-up and from a societal perspective. Therefore, blind and visually impaired persons were recruited via national self-help organizations (prevalence-based approach) and interviewed regarding their utilized resources using various survey modes (mixed-mode approach). The observation period was 6 months retrospectively. Utilized resources were valued applying standardized unit costs (macro-costing). Calculations for the study population provided direct and indirect costs per person for a period of 6 months. Further cost per category was extrapolated to 1 year for the general population of Germany. Uncertainty of results was addressed applying univariate deterministic sensitivity analyses. Results Complete data were collected from 683 participants (54.84% women; average age: 60.28 ± 17.02 years). Decreasing vision was associated with increasing costs (p

Suggested Citation

  • Yuliya Chuvarayan & Robert P. Finger & Juliane Köberlein-Neu, 2020. "Economic burden of blindness and visual impairment in Germany from a societal perspective: a cost-of-illness study," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 21(1), pages 115-127, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:eujhec:v:21:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s10198-019-01115-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10198-019-01115-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Antoine Lafuma & Antoine Brezin & Francis Fagnani & Viviane Mimaud & Mounir Mesbah & Gilles Berdeaux, 2006. "Nonmedical economic consequences attributable to visual impairment," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 7(3), pages 158-164, September.
    2. Alan Cruess & Gergana Zlateva & Xiao Xu & Gièle Soubrane & Daniel Pauleikhoff & Andrew Lotery & Jordi Mones & Ronald Buggage & Caroline Schaefer & Tyler Knight & Thomas Goss, 2008. "Economic Burden of Bilateral Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration," PharmacoEconomics, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 57-73, January.
    3. Bjoern Schwander, 2014. "Early health economic evaluation of the future potential of next generation artificial vision systems for treating blindness in Germany," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 1-10, December.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Blindness; Visual impairment; Costs; Cost of illness; Societal perspective;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I19 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Other

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