Lymphedema is a chronic progressive disease of the lymphatic system that can cause patient disability at a later stage. Patients are most often treated with a complex decongestive therapy, which is a combination of manual and instrumental lymphodrainage, external compression by bandaging, special motion and breathing exercises, and regimen arrangements. The aim of this study is to calculate the total costs of lymphedema in a regional hospital in East Bohemia.

METHODS:

The cost-of-illness analysis was used. Data collection was based on the bottom-up disease-based approach. The data necessary to calculate the costs of the disease were obtained from the hospital's internal information system, and completed with those from statistics for 2013, 2014 and 2015.

RESULTS:

A total of 463 patients were enrolled in the study (147 patients in 2013, 151 patients in 2014 and 165 patients in 2015). The personnel (salary) costs of the attending physician, nurse and/or physiotherapist were calculated. These costs accounted for 68% of the total costs of treatment. Moreover, maintenance and operational costs of medical devices and facility overhead costs were included, amounting together about 2% of the total costs. The overhead costs covered 30% of the total costs. Finally, the total costs per patient for the complex decongestant therapy was CZK 5 582 in 2013, CZK 5 285 in 2014 and CZK 5 296 in 2015. The total costs of the lymphoedema treatment in the particular healthcare facility was CZK 1 168 808 in 2013, CZK 1 143 202 in 2014, and CZK 1 219 090 in 2015.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study was based on prevalence data from the particular facility. The number of patients with lymphoedema is not monitored in the Czech Republic; hence, it is not possible to calculate the costs of illnesses for the whole country.