Economic burden of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the United Kingdom

Abstract

To assess the economic burden of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the United Kingdom, yearly direct medical costs were determined for four defined ALS health states (mild, moderate, severe and terminal disease stages). Resource utilisation patterns for each health state were obtained from United Kingdom neurologists and local costs (1996/97) were attached to the resources. The annual direct cost of the health states increased from £1185.20 in mild disease to £3127.51 in the terminal state. Hospitalisation was a major contributor to total cost in mild (43.3%), severe (31.6%) and terminal (45.1%) states. In contrast, in moderate disease the impact of hospitalisation was minimal (0.8%) compared to physician remuneration costs (59%). The economic burden of ALS is therefore directly related to the severity of the disease. The study identifies the major cost drivers in current ALS care and provides a means for determining how potential therapeutic interventions might affect the overall cost of the disease.