Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the direct and indirect costs of Crohn's disease (CD) in paediatric and perianal patients in Canterbury in one year.
Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was performed. Paediatric CD patients and adult patients with perianal CD were recruited over a three month period. Interviews were conducted to obtain information regarding demographic, socioeconomic factors, and indirect costs. Hospital clinical notes were reviewed to determine direct health care utilisation and costs.
Results: Forty-nine patients (24 paediatric and 25 perianal CD) were enrolled. In one year the total costs per patient for paediatric CD were $14,375 with direct and indirect costs comprising $12,583 and $1,792, respectively. The total costs per patient for perianal CD were $20,366 with direct and indirect costs comprising $18,261 and $2,105, respectively. Extrapolating these data across New Zealand, the total cost of paediatric and perianal CD in one year is approximately $25.9 million and $36.7 million, respectively.
Conclusions: Paediatric and perianal CD are high-cost diseases with significant costs borne by patients and their families. Expensive pharmaceuticals comprise a significant proportion of the costs: increased access to these drugs might decrease hospital admissions and prevent work absenteeism and loss of carer productivity.