The Cost Implications of an Asthma Attack

Abstract

Despite the major impact asthma has on health-care resource use, the cost of asthma attacks has not been accurately quantified. Resource use data collected from a United Kingdom (UK) study of 2275 asthma attacks were valued using published unit cost figures. Each patient's resource use was valued using high and low cost options to reflect uncertainty. Within a specified 3-month period 290 physicians in primary care practice recorded details of 2275 patient attack episodes: Of these patients, 1204 (53%) were from rural practices and 1748 (77%) from practices within an asthma clinic; 1024 (45%) were on no preventative medication prior to the attack and the average length of an attack was reported as 2 to 3 days. Management solely within primary care (N = 1984) had a low cost estimate of $82.64 (95% confidence interval [CI], 80.87-84.42), and high cost $88.11 (86.27-89.95). Patients admitted to the hospital following physician referral (N = 192): low cost $1499.94 (1283.03-1716.84); high cost $2534.36 (2043.88-3024.86). Self-referred and admitted (N = 88), low cost $874.18 (682.40-1065.96); high cost $1325.87 (980.70-1671.04). Emergency room (ER) management following physician referral (N = 5), low cost $142.52 (115.02-170.02); high cost $159.97 (149.11-170.82). ER self-referral (N = 6), low cost $99.54 (52.55-146.52); high cost $105.51 (55.21-155.80). Management of asthma attacks has adverse cost implications for primary and secondary care. A modest investment in increased use of preventative anti—inflammatory therapy may greatly reduce the economic burden of asthma attacks on health-care services.