Epidemiology and societal costs of gastroesophageal reflux disease and Barrett’s syndrome in Germany, Italy and Spain

Abstract

Aim: To estimate the economic consequences for society arising from populations with poorly treated gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and Barrett’s esophagus in Germany, Italy and Spain. Methods: The following epidemiologic data were used: total population figures, the prevalence and incidence of GERD and its complications, and data on patients with poorly treated GERD, as well as data on treatment costs and active workers’ presenteeism and absenteeism. These data were used to calculate the economic consequences arising from the population with poorly treated GERD and Barrett’s esophagus for the healthcare system and employers in each country. Results: The size of the population with poorly treated GERD with Barrett’s esophagus was estimated to be 29,678 in Spain, 19,327 in Germany and 10,079 in Italy. Costs for the healthcare systems in Spain, Germany and Italy for the population with poorly treated GERD with Barrett’s esophagus were estimated to be €18, 12 and 7 million, respectively, for each country. Total costs for absenteeism and presenteeism for employers due to poorly treated GERD with Barrett’s esophagus were €10 million for Germany, €1 million for Italy and none for Spain. Conclusion: Costs due to poorly treated GERD with Barrett’s esophagus represent a substantial burden for the healthcare systems of all three studied countries. Costs for employers owing to absenteeism or presenteeism of employees were low or no costs were found.

Keywords::

• absenteeism
• costs
• gastroesophageal reflux disease
• GERD
• incidence
• poorly treated patients
• presenteeism
• prevalence

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Tony Hockley of the London School of Economics and John Gisborne of Hill & Knowlton for their contributions to the goals of this study.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Funding for the GERD study was obtained from AstraZeneca Farmaceútica Spain S.A. The funding body had no role in the design of the study, in the analysis of the data or in the writing of the report. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.