The annual direct costs of stable COPD in Greece

Figures & data

Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of COPD patients (n=245)

Characteristic	Results
Age, years (mean [SD])	69.5 (8.8)
Gender, male (n [%])	231 (94.3)
BMI, kg/m^2 (mean [SD])	28.9 (6)
Occupational exposure (n [%])	29 (11.8)
Working status (n [%])
Retired	193 (78.8)
Working	39 (15.9)
Unemployed	13 (5.3)
Smoking habit (n [%])
Current smoker	110 (44.9)
Ex-smoker	128 (52.2)
Nonsmoker	7 (2.9)
Pack-years (mean [SD])	79.6 (37.2)
Years with COPD (mean [SD])	6.7 (5.6)
LTOT (n [%])	54 (22)
NIV (n [%])	42 (17.1)
FEV1% (mean [SD])	55.2 (19.9)
Respiratory symptoms (n [%])
Cough	144 (58.8)
Sputum	172 (70.2)
Wheezing	140 (57.1)
Dyspnea	214 (87.3)
mMRC ≥2 (n [%])	125 (51)
CAT ≥10 (n [%])	122 (49.8)
Frequent comorbidities (n [%])
Hypertension	121 (49.4)
Coronary heart disease	47 (19.2)
Chronic heart failure	26 (10.6)
Diabetes	47 (19.2)
Hyperlipidemia	48 (19.6)
Prostate diseases	35 (14.3)
Stages (GOLD) (n [%])
Stage I	27 (11)
Stage II	118 (48.2)
Stage III	71 (29)
Stage IV	29 (11.8)
Groups (GOLD) (n [%])
A	57 (23.3)
B	38 (15.5)
C	56 (22.9)
D	94 (38.4)

Abbreviations: COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; SD, standard deviation; BMI, body mass index; LTOT, long-term oxygen therapy; NIV, noninvasive ventilation; FEV₁, forced expiratory volume in 1 second; mMRC, modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale; CAT, COPD Assessment Test; GOLD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease.

Table 2 Annual per-patient costs during maintenance phase (€)

Cost categories	Total mean cost per patient	Percentage of total cost	Social insurance funds’ expenses	Out-of-pocket payments per patient
Direct medical cost
Pharmaceutical treatment	731.52 (522.36)	70.7	547.34 (387.96)	184.18 (142.58)
Medical visits	42.18 (72.23)	4.1	30.49 (56.84)	11.69 (25.85)
Laboratory/functional/imaging tests	22.40 (36.21)	2.2	21.10 (31.76)	1.30 (5.30)
Other treatments
LTOT	200.94 (407.56)	19.4	200.94 (407.56)	0
Vaccination	11.74 (21.93)	1.1	11.74 (21.93)	0
Direct nonmedical cost
Transportation	25.77 (30.92)	2.5	0	25.77 (30.92)
Total	1,034.55 (835.10)	100	811.61 (699.32)	222.94 (163.31)

Note: Data are presented as mean (±SD).

Abbreviations: LTOT, Long-Term Oxygen Therapy; SD, standard deviation.

Table 3 Mean annual per-patient cost of COPD during maintenance phase according to GOLD stages based on FEV₁ (€)

Cost categories	Stage I	Stage II	Stage III	Stage IV
Direct medical cost
Pharmaceutical treatment	310.73 (349.27)	560.02 (440.06)	976.81 (437.16)	1,220.56 (531.61)
Medical visits	35.93 (61.66)	35.51 (69.49)	54.51 (77.93)	45.00 (77.54)
Laboratory/functional/imaging tests	7.94 (6.32)	19.31 (37.39)	29.22 (41.20)	31.75 (29.22)
Other treatments
LTOT	40.00 (207.85)	54.91 (222.65)	308.03 (466.58)	682.76 (521.20)
Vaccination	3.40 (3.10)	12.90 (23.79)	10.24 (19.48)	18.42 (27.25)
Direct nonmedical cost
Transportation	10.23 (15.57)	22.58 (29.43)	29.78 (31.51)	43.40 (36.96)
Total	408.23 (503.19)	705.23 (596.79)	1,408.59 (742.00)	2,041.89 (858.19)

Note: Data are presented as mean (SD).

Abbreviations: COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; GOLD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; FEV₁, forced expiratory volume in 1 second; LTOT, long-term oxygen therapy; SD, standard deviation.

Table 4 Mean annual expenses for social insurance funds and out-of-pocket payments per patient according to disease stages (I–IV) (€)

GOLD stage	Total mean cost per patient	Social insurance funds’ expenses	Out-of-pocket payments per patient
Stage I	408.23 (503.19)	313.46 (405.66)	94.77 (119.28)
Stage II	705.23 (596.79)	532.93 (482.02)	172.30 (131.69)
Stage III	1,408.59 (742.00)	1,118.02 (649.84)	290.57 (143.44)
Stage IV	2,041.89 (858.19)	1,659.11 (730.56)	382.78 (174.86)

Note: Data are presented as mean (SD).

Abbreviation: SD, standard deviation.

Table 5 Mean annual per-patient cost of COPD during maintenance phase according to GOLD groups (€)

Cost categories	Group A	Group B	Group C	Group D
Direct medical cost
Pharmaceutical treatment	444.58 (410.77)	551.25 (406.61)	709.95 (534.45)	991.23 (497.39)
Medical visits	39.73 (74.03)	26.58 (53.55)	43.66 (75.25)	49.10 (75.80)
Laboratory/functional/imaging tests	14.52 (25.63)	25.53 (50.14)	20.46 (33.52)	27.07 (36.24)
Other treatments
LTOT	18.95 (143.05)	125.53 (339.69)	159.11 (380.29)	366.70 (490.51)
Vaccination	14.22 (24.75)	12.36 (22.71)	6.73 (15.64)	12.96 (22.85)
Direct nonmedical cost
Transportation	18.01 (24.78)	26.95 (35.03)	20.83 (24.56)	32.94 (34.49)
Total	550.01 (535.59)	768.20 (644.63)	960.74 (818.29)	1,480.00 (847.91)

Note: Data are presented as mean (SD).

Abbreviations: GOLD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; LTOT, long-term oxygen therapy; SD, standard deviation.

Table 6 Mean annual expenses for social insurance funds and out-of-pocket payments per patient according to GOLD groups (A–D) (€)

GOLD groups	Total mean cost per patient	Social insurance funds’ expenses	Out-of-pocket payments per patient
Group A	550.01 (535.59)	412.55 (414.35)	137.46 (124.82)
Group B	768.20 (644.63)	593.64 (560.72)	174.56 (131.00)
Group C	960.74 (818.29)	751.67 (678.60)	209.07 (158.99)
Group D	1,480.00 (847.91)	1,177.40 (726.54)	302.60 (163.85)

Note: Data are presented as mean (SD).

Abbreviations: GOLD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; SD, standard deviation.