PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Mostafa Moin
AU  - Abbas Kebriaeezadeh
AU  - Shekoufeh Nikfar
AU  - Mohammad Ali Rezvanfar
TI  - Cost analysis of childhood asthma in Iran: A cost evaluation based on referral center data for asthma and allergies
DP  - 2014 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - P4228
VI  - 44
IP  - Suppl 58
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P4228.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P4228.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2014 Sep 01; 44
AB  - Objective: We aimed to estimate the cost of managing childhood asthma in Iran and to examine its variability depending on asthma severity.Methods: The cost of asthma was estimated by building a cost assessment model regarding the factors that influence the cost of asthma in children including age and sex distribution, prevalence of disease severity, level of resource utilization depending on disease severity (3 groups of controlled, partly controlled and uncontrolled were defined). The model was comprised of both medical (cost of medication, physician visit and respiratory tests) and non-medical (transportation and hoteling) costs. Furthermore, the average family income in each category was figured and the share of asthma managing costs from the average income was calculated in different groups.Findings: According to model, the total cost of childhood asthma in Iran was around 516.5 million dollars. Moreover, direct medical cost represented 49% of the total costs, among which 66% accounting for medication cost. Direct non-medical costs were estimated 51% with the majority (93%) expended on transportation. In addition, the mean annual cost per child was approximately 466 dollars. In addition, the results indicate the vast majority of patients (46%) are categorized in the uncontrolled group.Conclusion: The major source of costs is found to be related to medicine expenditure. Since it has been proven that using medicine does not necessarily result in a well-controlled disease status, alternative approaches should be considered in asthma management.Keywords: Childhood asthma; cost analysis; pharmacoeconomics; Iran.