Research
The economic impact of chronic fatigue syndrome in Georgia: direct and indirect costs
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* Corresponding author: Jin-Mann S Lin dwe3@cdc.gov
- † Equal contributors
1 Chronic Viral Diseases Branch, Mail Stop A-15, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
2 Abt Associates, Cambridge MA, USA
3 Center for Health Decision Science, Harvard School of Public Health, 718 Huntington Ave, Boston MA 02115, USA
4 The Lewin Group, Eden Prairie, MN, USA
Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation 2011, 9:1 doi:10.1186/1478-7547-9-1
Published: 21 January 2011Abstract
Background
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating chronic illness affecting at least 4 million people in the United States. Understanding its cost improves decisions regarding resource allocation that may be directed towards treatment and cure, and guides the evaluation of clinical and community interventions designed to reduce the burden of disease.
Methods
This research estimated direct and indirect costs of CFS and the impact on educational attainment using a population-based, case-control study between September 2004 and July 2005, Georgia, USA. Participants completed a clinical evaluation to confirm CFS, identify other illnesses, and report on socioeconomic factors. We estimated the effect of CFS on direct medical costs (inpatient hospitalizations, provider visits, prescription medication spending, other medical supplies and services) and loss in productivity (employment and earnings) with a stratified sample (n = 500) from metropolitan, urban, and rural Georgia. We adjusted medical costs and earnings for confounders (age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, and geographic strata) using econometric models and weighted estimates to reflect response-rate adjusted sampling rates.
Results
Individuals with CFS had mean annual direct medical costs of $5,683. After adjusting for confounding factors, CFS accounted for $3,286 of these costs (p < 0.01), which were driven by increased provider visits and prescription medication use. Nearly one-quarter of these expenses were paid directly out-of pocket by those with CFS. Individuals with CFS reported mean annual household income of $23,076. After adjustment, CFS accounted for $8,554 annually in lost household earnings (p < 0.01). Lower educational attainment accounted for 19% of the reduction in earnings associated with CFS.
Conclusions
Study results indicate that chronic fatigue syndrome may lead to substantial increases in healthcare costs and decreases in individual earnings. Studies have estimated up to 2.5% of non-elderly adults may suffer from CFS. In Georgia, a state with roughly 5.5 million people age 18-59, illness could account for $452 million in total healthcare expenditures and $1.2 billion of lost productivity.