The primary objective of the study was to develop a comprehensive understanding of the total cost of adult and childhood asthma to the Australian community. It was intended that this understanding would then form the basis for predicting the impact of changes in therapeutic intervention and disease control on the economic impact of the disease.

The cost elements included for numerical analysis represent a subset of those listed in Figure One. The specific medical costs explored were the costs of asthma drugs and devices, the costs of asthma related medical and allied health consultations, the costs of inpatient and outpatient asthma hospital attendances (including emergency asthma care), the costs of ambulance transport for asthma and the additional medical costs of asthma related exacerbations of other illnesses.

In arriving at the indirect cost of asthma, the standard economic approach has been used. All days of incapacity due to asthma have been valued using the GDP hourly rate and an alternative more conservative method for evaluating indirect costs based on average weekly earnings. The indirect costs examined include social security payments and the cost to employers of people who have reduced effectiveness at work or are absent due to asthma or lose work time to seek medical advice and treatment.

Several costs were beyond the scope of the study. The intangible "quality of life" costs were excluded because of the difficulty in measuring quality of life in a way which is commensurate with financial data. Separate studies are being conducted to evaluate these intangible costs more fully. The economic costs of unpaid family support, domiciliary nursing, nursing home costs, transport costs (other than ambulances) and premature mortality were excluded either because of their lesser magnitude or the difficulty of obtaining accurate cost estimates.

It should be recognised that the range of total costs calculated for asthma represents the best available estimates given the accuracy and reliability of current data. With new data collection for some costs, such as asthma hospitalisation and the costs of lost productivity, the reliability of the overall cost estimate will improve. It should also be recognised that the impact of asthma on our society falls beyond the determination of disease severity and medical management. Non-medical influences such as an individual's ability to cope, his or her emotional reserves and socioeconomic status can also determine the impact of the disease on an individual.

Content Updated 1992