PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - MF Wildhagen
AU  - JB Verheij
AU  - JG Verzijl
AU  - J Gerritsen
AU  - W Bakker
AU  - HB Hilderink
AU  - LP ten Kate
AU  - T Tijmstra
AU  - L Kooij
AU  - JD Habbema
TI  - The nonhospital costs of care of patients with CF in The Netherlands: results of a questionnaire
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.96.09112215
DP  - 1996 Nov 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 2215--2219
VI  - 9
IP  - 11
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/9/11/2215.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/9/11/2215.full
SO  - Eur Respir J1996 Nov 01; 9
AB  - Cystic fibrosis (CF) causes a relatively high medical consumption. A large part of the treatment takes place at home. Because data regarding nonhospital care are lacking, we wished to determine the costs of care of patients with CF outside the hospital. A questionnaire was sent to 73 patients with CF from two Dutch hospitals (response rate 64%, 14 children and 33 adults). Average consumption and average costs per patient per year were calculated for children and adults for six categories: nonhospital medical care; domestic help; diet; travelling because of CF; medication; and devices and special facilities at home, work or school. The average nonhospital costs of care amounted to Pounds 4,641 per child per year (range Pounds 712-13,269) and Pounds 10,242 per adult (range Pounds 1,653-26,571). Nonhospital medical care for children and adults accounted for, respectively, 8 and 5% of these costs, domestic help for 15 and 9%, diet for 10 and 7%, travelling because of CF for 4 and 8%, medication for 63 and 67%, and devices and special facilities at home, work or school for 1 and 4%. Nonhospital costs of care of cystic fibrosis are very high and amount to 50% of the total (medical and nonmedical) lifetime costs of cystic fibrosis.