Costs of schizophrenia
Please note: this is a legacy publication from CPEC (formely PSSRU at LSE).Psychiatry 4 10 33-35
Abstract
Growing interest in the cost implications of serious illnesses such as schizophrenia has focused attention on the factors that precipitate higher expenditure as well as on the cost-effective treatments. This paper reviews the broad cost impacts of schizophrenia. It focuses on three key and inter-connected influences on cost: medication adherence, relapse and inpatient admission. Each of these events is associated with a significant and often enduring increase in costs. Against this background, the need for treatments that are both effective and cost effective becomes all the more pressing. The missed evidence on the cost effectivness of atypical antipsychotics is summarized. Costs are usually seen as villains of the piece, but in fact there may be justification for increasing costs if such expenditures lead to better outcomes of high value to patients, their families and society more generally.
Growing interest in the cost implications of serious illnesses such as schizophrenia has focused attention on the factors that precipitate higher expenditure as well as on the cost-effective treatments. This paper reviews the broad cost impacts of schizophrenia. It focuses on three key and inter-connected influences on cost: medication adherence, relapse and inpatient admission. Each of these events is associated with a significant and often enduring increase in costs. Against this background, the need for treatments that are both effective and cost effective becomes all the more pressing. The missed evidence on the cost effectivness of atypical antipsychotics is summarized. Costs are usually seen as villains of the piece, but in fact there may be justification for increasing costs if such expenditures lead to better outcomes of high value to patients, their families and society more generally.