RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 The cost of tuberculosis in Denmark JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP 3529 VO 42 IS Suppl 57 A1 Andreas Fløe A1 Ole Hilberg A1 Christian Wejse A1 Anders Løkke A1 Jacob Kjellberg A1 Rikke Ibsen A1 Poul Jennum YR 2013 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/3529.abstract AB Hypothesis: Tuberculosis (TB) patients carry higher direct health-related and indirect costs than the general population.Objective: To calculate the economic burden of TB in Denmark, including the health-related costs of treatment and the indirect costs for society in a national retrospective case-control study.Methods: 8433 TB-patients identified from the Danish National Patient Registry (1997-2008) were matched to 33.707 controls by age, gender, civil status and geography. Direct costs were calculated as health system contacts and –procedures, and DRG charges (Ministry of Health and National Health Security). Medication expenses were obtained from Danish Medicines Agency. Indirect costs (employment income and social transfer) were obtained from Coherent Social Statistics.Results: Cases posed higher direct health-related costs (Figure 1), but an average excess in total annual costs per patient of € 16,160 before vs. € 20,053 after diagnosis was mainly carried by indirect costs.Cases received an average excess public transfer income of € 3,345 before vs. € 3,121 after diagnosis. Average deficiency in employment income was € 11,635 before vs € 13,885 after diagnosis. 31% of cases vs. 59% of controls had employment income.Conclusion: TB seems to affect the “bottom of society” in Denmark. Identifying and treating these individuals does not result in improvement in socioeconomic conditions or reduced health-related or indirect costs in years after TB diagnosis.