Economic impact of delirium in Australia: A cost of illness study

Pezzullo, L; Streatfeild, J; Hickson, J; Teodorczuk, A; Agar, MR; Caplan, GA

Economic impact of delirium in Australia: A cost of illness study

Pezzullo, L Streatfeild, J Hickson, J Teodorczuk, A Agar, MR

Caplan, GA

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: BMJ Open, 2019, 9 (9)
Issue Date:: 2019-09-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Pezzullo, L	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Streatfeild, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Hickson, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Teodorczuk, A	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Agar, MR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6756-6119	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Caplan, GA	en_US
dc.date.issued	2019-09-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	BMJ Open, 2019, 9 (9)	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/137278
dc.description.abstract	© 2019 Author(s). Objectives To estimate the economic impact of delirium in the Australian population in 2016-2017, including financial costs, and its burden on health. Design, setting and participants A cost of illness study was conducted for the Australian population in the 2016-2017 financial year. The prevalence of delirium in 2016-2017 was calculated to inform cost estimations. The costs estimated in this study also include dementia attributable to delirium. Main outcome measures The total and per capita costs were analysed for three categories: health systems costs, other financial costs including productivity losses and informal care and cost associated with loss of well-being (burden of disease). Costs were expressed in 2016-2017 pound sterling (£) and Australian dollars (A). Results There were an estimated 132 595 occurrences of delirium in 2016-2017, and more than 900 deaths were attributed to delirium in 2016-2017. Delirium causes an estimated 10.6% of dementia in Australia. The total costs of delirium in Australia were estimated to be £4.3 billion (A8.8 billion) in 2016-2017, ranging between £2.6 billion (A5.3 billion) and £5.9 billion (A12.1 billion). The total estimated costs comprised financial costs of £1.7 billion and the value of healthy life lost of £2.5 billion. Dementia attributable to delirium accounted for £2.2 billion of the total cost of delirium. Conclusions These findings highlight the substantial burden that delirium imposes on Australian society - both in terms of financial costs associated with health system expenditure and the increased need for residential aged care due to the functional and cognitive decline associated with delirium and dementia. To reduce the substantial well-being costs of delirium, further research should seek to better understand the potential pathways from an episode of delirium to subsequent mortality and reduced cognitive functioning outcomes.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	BMJ Open	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027514	en_US
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.title	Economic impact of delirium in Australia: A cost of illness study	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	9	en_US
utslib.for	1103 Clinical Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services	en_US
utslib.for	1199 Other Medical and Health Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/IMPACCT
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.issue	9	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	9	en_US

Abstract:

© 2019 Author(s). Objectives To estimate the economic impact of delirium in the Australian population in 2016-2017, including financial costs, and its burden on health. Design, setting and participants A cost of illness study was conducted for the Australian population in the 2016-2017 financial year. The prevalence of delirium in 2016-2017 was calculated to inform cost estimations. The costs estimated in this study also include dementia attributable to delirium. Main outcome measures The total and per capita costs were analysed for three categories: health systems costs, other financial costs including productivity losses and informal care and cost associated with loss of well-being (burden of disease). Costs were expressed in 2016-2017 pound sterling (£) and Australian dollars (A). Results There were an estimated 132 595 occurrences of delirium in 2016-2017, and more than 900 deaths were attributed to delirium in 2016-2017. Delirium causes an estimated 10.6% of dementia in Australia. The total costs of delirium in Australia were estimated to be £4.3 billion (A8.8 billion) in 2016-2017, ranging between £2.6 billion (A5.3 billion) and £5.9 billion (A12.1 billion). The total estimated costs comprised financial costs of £1.7 billion and the value of healthy life lost of £2.5 billion. Dementia attributable to delirium accounted for £2.2 billion of the total cost of delirium. Conclusions These findings highlight the substantial burden that delirium imposes on Australian society - both in terms of financial costs associated with health system expenditure and the increased need for residential aged care due to the functional and cognitive decline associated with delirium and dementia. To reduce the substantial well-being costs of delirium, further research should seek to better understand the potential pathways from an episode of delirium to subsequent mortality and reduced cognitive functioning outcomes.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/137278