Direct medical costs of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Catalonia at the hospital level: a retrospective multicenter study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing worldwide, which is expected to correlate with significant medical and social costs. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and economic burden of NAFLD in Catalonia at the hospital level. Methods Records of all patients diagnosed with NAFLD and treated in Catalan hospitals between the year 2007 and 2018 were extracted from a patient-level healthcare database. Results Admission files of 24,172 individual patients were obtained. High comorbidity rates were found across age groups, with a mean Charlson Comorbidity Index of 5.1. In-hospital mortality rate increased over the study period, and was associated to a higher comorbidity rate. Disease complexity was increased in this patient group, which is associated with larger medical costs. The mean annual cost per patient was €4073, with a total annual direct medical cost of €27,370,827. The greatest portion of costs was attributed to surgical interventions (€14,429,336). Conclusions The high level of comorbidity and disease complexity in this patient group versus the general population is expected to correlate with a more intensive use of medical resources and costs. This study provides novel data to inform resource allocation and disease management decisions at the regional level.