Table 4

The total costs of MS, in euros per patient per year, for the sample studied (N = 200) according to disability.

EDSS

0

1.0–3.0

3.5–5.5

6.0–7.0

7.5–9.5

mean

total costs (direct + indirect)

14327

18837

27869

41198

52841

24272

% patients on IM treatment our MS Unit

6

57

41

47

4

31

total costs adjusted by % of patients on IT in our MS Unit

7400

17589

23157

40273

48729

19589

% of global costs attributable to IT, in MS Unit

9

43

21

14

1

19

Disability -according to EDSS-

mild

moderate

severe

Global costs of MS in Poland (Orlewska et al., 2005)

6572

9362

11078

"Italy (Amato et al, 2002)

7463

23088

35975

"Sweden (Heriksson et al., 2001)

18787

36470

91986

"Germany (Kobelt et al., 2000)

20000

39000

61000

"United Kingdom (Kobelt et al., 2000)

20000

38000

41500

"France (Murphy et al., 1998)

8000

16000

22400

"Germany (Murphy et al., 1998)

9088

8224

22804

"United Kingdom (Murphy et al., 1998)

20500

27004

58488

Costs were calculated for patients classified in the 5 EDSS groups (columns 1 to 5) and for the whole sample, N = 200, (column 6). The total costs were adjusted by the percentage of patients on IT (immunomodulatory treatment) in our MS Unit in 2004. Costs that have been reported in other countries have been converted into euros and are described below (also according to patients' disability).

Casado et al. BMC Health Services Research 2006 6:143   doi:10.1186/1472-6963-6-143