Trends in resource utilization for Parkinson's disease in Germany

ObjectiveThe prevalence of Parkinson's disease (PD) and costs of healthcare resources for this disease have been increasing in recent years. The objective was to determine the trends in the resource utilization for PD in Germany.Methods and patientsWe compared resource utilization in two cohorts of PD patients recruited in 2000 (n = 145) and 2004 (n = 133) from two clinical departments, two office-based neurologists and several general practitioners. Direct and indirect costs were assessed based on a patient diary and structured personal interviews. Clinical status was classified in Hoehn and Yahr (HY) stages. Cost-driving factors were determined using multivariate regression analysis.ResultsIn 2004, total annual costs for PD ranged from EUR 18,660 for HY I–II to EUR 31,660 for HY II–V. As compared to costs in 2000, total costs increased in 2004 by 25–31%. Drug costs increased by 14–20% during this time. The largest increase in direct costs was observed in the early disease (HY I–II), primarily due to rising costs for inpatient care and drugs. Motor complications, age, HY stage and study year were independent cost-driving factors.ConclusionThe resource utilization in PD increased rapidly over the four year study period. Increasing consumption of healthcare resources due to medical progress is a major factor of rising costs. Future studies should attend more to trends in the utilization of healthcare resources and identify factors which could slow down the expanding costs of healthcare.