@article{Naoum2020-uo,
title = {Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: Utilization of Health Services and
Out-Of-Pocket Health Expenditures in Greece},
author = {Panagiota Naoum and Kostas Athanasakis and Anastasis Skroumpelos and John Kyriopoulos},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-08-01},
journal = {Value Health Reg Issues},
volume = {22},
pages = {44--48},
address = {United States},
abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a severe
progressive disease with poor prognosis. Patients show an
increased healthcare utilization pattern consisting of regular
physician consultations and monitoring tests. The aim of the
present study was to estimate healthcare resource utilization and
out-of-pocket expenditures for IPF patients in Greece. METHODS:
An IPF-specific questionnaire was constructed, which focused on
retrospective healthcare resource utilization and out-of-pocket
expenditures within a 6-month period. Upon informed consent, the
questionnaires were completed anonymously. RESULTS: The study
sample included 123 IPF patients. Within a 6-month period, 85.4%
of the patients visited their treating physician (mean, 2.35;
standard deviation [SD], 1.400), 29.4% visited other physicians
for IPF-related reasons (mean, 1.90; SD, 1.595), 42.9% visited a
healthcare setting, and 10.6% required hospitalization (mean
duration, 2.86 days; SD, 3.338). Spirometry (98.1%) and blood
tests (88.5%) were the most common tests for IPF monitoring.
Almost half of the respondents (48.6%) stated they had private
expenditures for IPF medication, physician visits, hospital
services, medical tests, or other IPF-related reasons.
CONCLUSIONS: IPF management requires regular contact with
healthcare services and uptake of specific medical tests.
Considering the high proportion of patients bearing out-of-pocket
costs, along with the decline of incomes in Greece, improvement
of the disease management is important, and action should be
taken to lower the financial burden imposed on patients.},
keywords = {IPF idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; healthcare use; private expenditure},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
OBJECTIVES: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a severe
progressive disease with poor prognosis. Patients show an
increased healthcare utilization pattern consisting of regular
physician consultations and monitoring tests. The aim of the
present study was to estimate healthcare resource utilization and
out-of-pocket expenditures for IPF patients in Greece. METHODS:
An IPF-specific questionnaire was constructed, which focused on
retrospective healthcare resource utilization and out-of-pocket
expenditures within a 6-month period. Upon informed consent, the
questionnaires were completed anonymously. RESULTS: The study
sample included 123 IPF patients. Within a 6-month period, 85.4%
of the patients visited their treating physician (mean, 2.35;
standard deviation [SD], 1.400), 29.4% visited other physicians
for IPF-related reasons (mean, 1.90; SD, 1.595), 42.9% visited a
healthcare setting, and 10.6% required hospitalization (mean
duration, 2.86 days; SD, 3.338). Spirometry (98.1%) and blood
tests (88.5%) were the most common tests for IPF monitoring.
Almost half of the respondents (48.6%) stated they had private
expenditures for IPF medication, physician visits, hospital
services, medical tests, or other IPF-related reasons.
CONCLUSIONS: IPF management requires regular contact with
healthcare services and uptake of specific medical tests.
Considering the high proportion of patients bearing out-of-pocket
costs, along with the decline of incomes in Greece, improvement
of the disease management is important, and action should be
taken to lower the financial burden imposed on patients.