The costs of hospitalization

Direct costs include those associated with the use of healthcare resources, such as inpatient/outpatient care, and drugs.^3,5 A UK survey evaluated the costs associated with the use of healthcare services in 432 patients diagnosed with PD.^3,4 Overall, the direct costs of PD care increased with advancing age, driven mainly by the worsening severity of symptoms.^3,4 As PD progresses, patients may develop co-morbidities, requiring the use of additional healthcare resources, and many patients will eventually enter residential/nursing home care.^3,4

Inpatient care is a major component of the direct costs of PD.5 These are mostly emergency admissions, leading to longer hospital stays when compared with age-matched individuals without PD.¹

References:
1.Low V, Ben-Shlomo Y, Coward E, et al. Measuring the burden and mortality of hospitalisation in Parkinson’s disease: a cross-sectional analysis of the English Hospital Episodes Statistics database 2009–2013. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2015; 21 (5): 449–454.

2.Kruse C, Lipinski A, Verheyen M, et al. Care of late-stage Parkinsonism: resource utilization of the disease in five European countries. Mov Disord 2024; 39 (3): 571–584.

3.Findley LJ. The economic impact of Parkinson’s disease. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2007; 13: S8–S12.

4.Findley L, Aujla M, Bain PG, et al. Direct economic impact of Parkinson’s disease: a research survey in the United Kingdom. Mov Disord 2003; 18 (10): 1139–1145.

5.Yang W, Hamilton JL, Kopil C, et al. Current and projected future economic burden of Parkinson’s disease in the U.S. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2020; 6: 15.