J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2018 Jul;59(7):665-671. 10.3341/jkos.2018.59.7.665.

Socioeconomic Costs of Glaucoma in Korea

• Ahn Y
• Jee D

• KMID: 2416269
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3341/jkos.2018.59.7.665

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to estimate the socioeconomic costs of glaucoma in Korea. It is to be used as an academic reference regarding policy making for the introduction of glaucoma screening tests in the national health check-ups.
METHODS
We estimated the socioeconomic costs of glaucoma from a societal perspective, which included medical, nonmedical, and productivity costs. The medical costs consisted of official and nonofficial medical costs, and the nonmedical costs consisted of transportation, time, and nursing costs. We used the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort 2002-2013 and the Korea Health Panel study.
RESULTS
The socioeconomic costs of glaucoma were estimated to be 3,000 billion Korean won (KRW) in 2013. These total costs were divided into 1,539 billion KRW (51.3%) for medical costs, 1,292 billion KRW (43.1%) for nonmedical costs, and 168 billion KRW (5.6%) for productivity costs.
CONCLUSIONS
Glaucoma is a large economic burden from a societal perspective. The nonmedical and productivity costs, as well as the medical costs are especially high. Because the disease costs of glaucoma are expected to increase continuously, political support for early detection of glaucoma should be considered.

Keyword

Costs; Disease costs; Glaucoma; Glaucoma screening; Socioeconomic costs

MeSH Terms

Cohort Studies
Cost of Illness
Efficiency
Glaucoma*
Korea*
Mass Screening
National Health Programs
Nursing
Policy Making
Transportation

Reference

1. Hyman L, Wu SY, Connell AM, et al. Prevalence and causes of visual impairment in The Barbados Eye Study. Ophthalmology. 2001; 108:1751–1756.

2. Quigley HA, Broman AT. The number of people with glaucoma worldwide in 2010 and 2020. Br J Ophthalmol. 2006; 90:262–267.

3. Seo SJ, Lee YH, Lee SY, et al. Estimated prevalence of glaucoma in South Korea using the national claims database. J Ophthalmol. 2016; 2016:1690256.

4. Kim Y, Shin S, Park J, et al. Costing methods in Healthcare. 1st ed. Seoul: National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency;2013. p. 117–143.

5. Chon B, Qiu M, Lin SC. Myopia and glaucoma in the South Korean population. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2013; 54:6570–6577.

6. Kim MJ, Kim MJ, Kim HS, et al. Risk factors for open-angle glaucoma with normal baseline intraocular pressure in a young population: the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2014; 42:825–832.

7. Traverso CE, Walt JG, Kelly SP, et al. Direct costs of glaucoma and severity of the disease: a multinational long term study of resource utilisation in Europe. Br J Ophthalmol. 2005; 89:1245–1249.

8. Thygesen J, Aagren M, Arnavielle S, et al. Late-stage, primary open-angle glaucoma in Europe: social and health care maintenance costs and quality of life of patients from 4 countries. Curr Med Res Opin. 2008; 24:1763–1770.

9. Lee PP, Walt JG, Doyle JJ, et al. A multicenter, retrospective pilot study of resource use and costs associated with severity of disease in glaucoma. Arch Ophthalmol. 2006; 124:12–19.

10. Varma R, Lee PP, Goldberg I, Kotak S. An assessment of the health and economic burdens of glaucoma. Am J Ophthalmol. 2011; 152:515–522.

11. Kim CS, Seong GJ, Lee NH, et al. Prevalence of primary open-angle glaucoma in central South Korea the Namil study. Ophthalmology. 2011; 118:1024–1030.

12. Kim KE, Kim MJ, Park KH, et al. Prevalence, awareness, and risk factors of primary open-angle glaucoma: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008–2011. Ophthalmology. 2016; 123:532–541.