Clinical anxiety disorders in the context of cancer: A scoping review of impact on resource use and healthcare costs.

Abstract

Prevalence of clinical anxiety among patients with cancer is higher than the general population. Clinical anxiety in people with other medical conditions is associated with greater healthcare resource use and costs. This scoping review describes the evidence relating to costs associated with clinical anxiety in cancer populations. We conducted searches of online databases Medline, Embase, Cinahl, National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database (NHS-EED) and Cochrane Library of systematic reviews to identify studies published between 2006 and 2017 that included healthcare cost in terms of monetary or health service utilisation variables. Of 411 records screened, six studies met inclusion criteria. Only one study used formal diagnostic criteria to identify clinical anxiety. The healthcare system perspective was most common, with direct costs such as medications, hospital visits, type of therapy and use of mental health services reported. All studies found anxiety was related to increased costs/resource use; however, methodological differences mean specific costs and potential impact of interventions on resource use remain relatively unquantified. Despite the prevalence of clinical anxiety, there is little data on the economic impact on health service costs and utilisation. Future studies quantifying the true cost are urgently needed to inform healthcare service planning and delivery, and quality improvement initiatives.