OBJECTIVES

: To present Polish results of a multi-country cross-sectional study and estimate productivity loss/indirect costs in the first year after a cardiovascular event (CVE).

METHODS

: Patients previously hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or a stroke were enrolled during a routine cardiologist/neurologist visit 3-12 months after index CVE and ≥4 weeks after return to work. Productivity loss for the patient and the caregiver in the past 4 weeks were collected using validated patient-reported Productivity Cost Questionnaire (iPCQ). Hours lost were converted into 8-hour work-days and extrapolated to 1 year, combined with initial hospitalization and sick leave, and valued according the Polish labour cost (Eurostat:€8.97-PLN40.04/hour;2017).

RESULTS

: Sixty-eight patients were included (38 ACS; 30 stroke; 87% men; 87% urban; mean age:53 years). Average Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction was 50.8% in ACS patients and 97% had no or mild stroke symptoms at discharge. There were on average 90.9(standard deviation=122.7) work-days lost after ACS and 88.3(100.3) after stroke. Patient’s index hospitalization followed by initial sick leave accounted for 28.5(26.8) and 38.1(39.4) work-days in ACS and stroke patients respectively. The ACS and stroke patients lost 37.0(65.8) and 23.6(76.6) work-days respectively due to absenteeism, and another 9.7(25.5) and 8.1(18.4) days due to presenteeism. Caregivers lost 15.8(44.0) and 18.5(42.0) days helping ACS and stroke patients respectively. Thus, in ACS patients, the average total indirect costs in the year post-CVE was PLN29,131 (39,314)/€6,526 (8,808). For stroke the total indirect cost per patient was PLN28,280 (PLN32,111)/€6,335 (€7,194).

CONCLUSIONS

: The results suggest that, in this population of relatively young patients, indirect costs of CVE in Poland are substantial in the first year following this CVE and, based on literature, are comparable or exceed direct costs. Indirect costs for ACS and stroke are similar. About 20% of lost time and associated indirect costs fall on caregivers helping the CVE patients.