TY - JOUR
T1 - Increasing healthcare costs
T2 - Can we influence the costs of glaucoma care?
AU - Töteberg-Harms, Marc
AU - Berlin, Michael S.
AU - Meier-Gibbons, Frances
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
PY - 2017/3/1
Y1 - 2017/3/1
N2 - Purpose of review Despite a decrease in real average growth rates per capita since 2009, healthcare costs continue to rise worldwide. Numerous patient-related and doctor-related factors have contributed to this rise. Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness and requires chronic, usually lifelong treatment. As with other chronic diseases, the adherence to prescribed treatment is often low and maybe influenced by the cost of the therapy. The purpose of this review is to seek potential solutions to best control the escalating costs of glaucoma care. Recent findings The studies we selected for this review can be divided into four different categories: costs of diagnostic tests; costs of direct comparisons between drugs or laser and conventional surgery; patient-related factors (such as adherence); and general aspects regarding costs: Theoretical models and calculations. Summary It is challenging to find reliable studies concerning this subject matter. As patients are under the umbrellas of variously organized healthcare systems which span different cultures, the costs between countries are difficult to compare. However, one common aspect to lower costs in glaucoma care is to improve patient adherence. Theoretical models with actual patient studies could enable cost reductions by comparing multiple diagnostic and therapeutic scenarios.
AB - Purpose of review Despite a decrease in real average growth rates per capita since 2009, healthcare costs continue to rise worldwide. Numerous patient-related and doctor-related factors have contributed to this rise. Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness and requires chronic, usually lifelong treatment. As with other chronic diseases, the adherence to prescribed treatment is often low and maybe influenced by the cost of the therapy. The purpose of this review is to seek potential solutions to best control the escalating costs of glaucoma care. Recent findings The studies we selected for this review can be divided into four different categories: costs of diagnostic tests; costs of direct comparisons between drugs or laser and conventional surgery; patient-related factors (such as adherence); and general aspects regarding costs: Theoretical models and calculations. Summary It is challenging to find reliable studies concerning this subject matter. As patients are under the umbrellas of variously organized healthcare systems which span different cultures, the costs between countries are difficult to compare. However, one common aspect to lower costs in glaucoma care is to improve patient adherence. Theoretical models with actual patient studies could enable cost reductions by comparing multiple diagnostic and therapeutic scenarios.
KW - adherence
KW - compliance
KW - costs
KW - glaucoma care
KW - healthcare
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84994613938&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84994613938&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/ICU.0000000000000343
DO - 10.1097/ICU.0000000000000343
M3 - Review article
C2 - 27828895
AN - SCOPUS:84994613938
SN - 1040-8738
VL - 28
SP - 127
EP - 132
JO - Current Opinion in Ophthalmology
JF - Current Opinion in Ophthalmology
IS - 2
ER -