Utilization of health care and costs for patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with TNF-a inhibitors in the Czech Republic
2009
Abstract
According to international publications, the annual costs of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis represent c. 10.000 USD, with dominance of indirect costs. This study is one of the first studies that deals with the cost analysis of rheumatoid arthritis in the Czech Republic.
The analysis of health care utilization throughout the last year was performed on the group of 113 patients who met the criteria for biological therapy, and the rates between direct and indirect costs were compared. In a number of indicators, this study acknowledges the results obtained in other countries on decreased utilization of health care by patients treated with TNF-alpha inhibitors.