Chronic prostatitis comes at a high price

[webslave]

Chronic prostatitis comes at a high price
July 8, 2004
Urology Times

Chronic prostatitis equals high financial costs, according to research by the Chronic Prostatitis Collaborative Research Network (Arch Intern Med 2004; 164:1231-6).

Researchers examined the direct and indirect costs associated with 167 chronic prostatitis patients enrolled in the Chronic Prostatitis Cohort. Three months prior to entry into the cohort, the total direct costs (excluding hospitalization) were $126,915, with an average of $954 per person. One-fourth of sufferers experienced work loss equaling an average of $551. Researchers found that patients with prostatitis had total health care costs in the year following the episode of care that were 1.5 times greater than that of controls ($2,410 vs. $1,728).

Among study participants who incurred any costs, NIH prostatitis symptom index scores were significantly associated with resource use.

"The economic impact of prostatitis warrants increased medical attention and resources to identify and test effective treatment strategies," the researchers wrote.

In a related study, researchers found that patients with prostatitis had total health care costs in the year following the episode of care that were 1.5 times greater than that of controls ($2,410 vs. $1,728), as reported in Urology (2004; 63:1031-5). Costs were compared between men with a new episode of care for prostatitis and randomly selected male HMO enrollees who served as controls.

"Most of the difference in costs reflects care for problems other than prostatitis," wrote the researchers, from the University of Washington, Seattle. "A small proportion of patients account for most of the costs."

Look for a more in-depth report on this research in the Aug. 1 issue of Urology Times