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A cost analysis of functional bowel disorders in Iran

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International Journal of Colorectal Disease Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background and aims

The objective of this work is to evaluate the health care utilization and cost of different types of functional bowel disorder (FBD) in a population of Iranian patients and compare the costs in consulters and non-consulters.

Materials and methods

A consecutive sample of 1,023 patients in an outpatient gastroenterology clinic in central Tehran were interviewed, using two questionnaires based on the Rome II criteria, from December 2004 to May 2005 to detect FBD patients and to determine the frequency of health resource utilization (physician visit, hospitalization, laboratory tests, imaging studies, and drugs) and productivity loss (days off work or with low functionality) due to FBD symptoms in the past 12 months. Societal perspective was used and cost per person per year was estimated in purchasing power parity dollars (PPP$).

Results

The direct costs (for consulters, non-consulters; data presented in this order) were: irritable bowel syndrome (IBS; $92.04, $1.04), unspecified functional bowel disorder (FBD; $100.94, $0.39), functional constipation ($57.23, $1.04), and functional abdominal bloating ($71.35, $0.63). Indirect costs (for consulters, non-consulters) were: IBS ($811.85, $669.09), unspecified FBD ($705.85, $263.47), functional constipation ($587.48, $97.49), and functional abdominal bloating ($147.88, $38.60). Total yearly costs of IBS and functional constipation for urban adult population of Iran were roughly estimated at 2.94 billion PPP$ and 89.2 million PPP$, respectively.

Conclusions

As proven in developed countries, FBD and especially IBS seem to put a heavy burden on the economy of a developing country like Iran. Further population-based studies are needed for more precise estimations.

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Acknowledgement

The authors wish to express their gratitude to the Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran for kindly funding and supporting this research project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Informatics Department, Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Taleghani Hospital, Shaheed Beheshti Medical University, Parvaneh Street, Velenjak, Tehran, Iran

    Delnaz Roshandel, Mohammadreza Rezailashkajani, Sepideh Shafaee & Mohammad Reza Zali

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  1. Delnaz Roshandel
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  2. Mohammadreza Rezailashkajani
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  3. Sepideh Shafaee
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  4. Mohammad Reza Zali
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Correspondence to Mohammadreza Rezailashkajani.

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Roshandel, D., Rezailashkajani, M., Shafaee, S. et al. A cost analysis of functional bowel disorders in Iran. Int J Colorectal Dis 22, 791–799 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00384-006-0226-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00384-006-0226-2

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