The epidemiology, healthcare and societal burden and costs of asthma in the UK and its member nations: analyses of standalone and linked national databases

Mome Mukherjee (Lead Author), Andrew Stoddart, Ramyani Gupta, Bright Nwaru, Angela Farr, Martin Heaven, Deborah Fitzsimmons, Amrita Bandyopadhyay, Chantelle Aftab, Colin Simpson, Ronan Anthony Lyons, Colin Murray Fischbacher, Chris Dibben, Michael Shields, Ceri Phillips, David P Strachan, Gwyneth Davies, Brian McKinstry, Aziz Sheikh

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Background
There are a lack of reliable data on the epidemiology and associated burden and costs of asthma. We sought to provide the first UK-wide estimates of the epidemiology, healthcare utilisation and costs of asthma.

Methods
We obtained and analysed asthma-relevant data from 27 datasets: these comprised national health surveys for 2010–11, and routine administrative, health and social care datasets for 2011–12; 2011–12 costs were estimated in pounds sterling using economic modelling.

Results
The prevalence of asthma depended on the definition and data source used. The UK lifetime prevalence of patient-reported symptoms suggestive of asthma was 29.5 % (95 % CI, 27.7–31.3; n = 18.5 million (m) people) and 15.6 % (14.3–16.9, n = 9.8 m) for patient-reported clinician-diagnosed asthma. The annual prevalence of patient-reported clinician-diagnosed-and-treated asthma was 9.6 % (8.9–10.3, n = 6.0 m) and of clinician-reported, diagnosed-and-treated asthma 5.7 % (5.7–5.7; n = 3.6 m). Asthma resulted in at least 6.3 m primary care consultations, 93,000 hospital in-patient episodes, 1800 intensive-care unit episodes and 36,800 disability living allowance claims. The costs of asthma were estimated at least £1.1 billion: 74 % of these costs were for provision of primary care services (60 % prescribing, 14 % consultations), 13 % for disability claims, and 12 % for hospital care. There were 1160 asthma deaths.

Conclusions
Asthma is very common and is responsible for considerable morbidity, healthcare utilisation and financial costs to the UK public sector. Greater policy focus on primary care provision is needed to reduce the risk of asthma exacerbations, hospitalisations and deaths, and reduce costs.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)113
Number of pages15
JournalBMC Medicine
Volume14
Issue number113
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 29 Aug 2016

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • Asthma
  • Cost of Illness
  • Databases, Factual
  • Health Care Costs
  • Health Surveys
  • Humans
  • Prevalence
  • United Kingdom
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The epidemiology, healthcare and societal burden and costs of asthma in the UK and its member nations: analyses of standalone and linked national databases'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this