Economic burden of blindness and visual impairment in Germany from a societal perspective: a cost-of-illness study

Yuliya Chuvarayan, Robert P. Finger and Juliane Köberlein-Neu ()
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Yuliya Chuvarayan: University of Wuppertal
Robert P. Finger: University of Bonn
Juliane Köberlein-Neu: University of Wuppertal

The European Journal of Health Economics, 2020, vol. 21, issue 1, No 10, 115-127

Abstract: Abstract Background Visual impairment and blindness cause a considerable and increasing economic burden affecting not only persons with vision loss and their families, but also societies. For the majority of countries, there is no solid database that would allow a comprehensive assessment of costs from a societal perspective. The present study was conducted to fill this gap. Objectives To investigate resource utilization of blind or visually impaired people and to assess the economic burden of blindness and visual impairment in Germany. Methods This cross-sectional cost-of-illness study measures the economic burden of blindness and visual impairment bottom-up and from a societal perspective. Therefore, blind and visually impaired persons were recruited via national self-help organizations (prevalence-based approach) and interviewed regarding their utilized resources using various survey modes (mixed-mode approach). The observation period was 6 months retrospectively. Utilized resources were valued applying standardized unit costs (macro-costing). Calculations for the study population provided direct and indirect costs per person for a period of 6 months. Further cost per category was extrapolated to 1 year for the general population of Germany. Uncertainty of results was addressed applying univariate deterministic sensitivity analyses. Results Complete data were collected from 683 participants (54.84% women; average age: 60.28 ± 17.02 years). Decreasing vision was associated with increasing costs (p

Keywords: Blindness; Visual impairment; Costs; Cost of illness; Societal perspective (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10198-019-01115-5

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