To evaluate healthcare resource use and productivity in patients with gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) and the influence of disease severity on these two factors.
Sub-analysis of the Spanish population of a multinational study with a 4-month retrospective period for the identification and selection of patients, and a clinical visit to obtain clinical information and data on use of healthcare resources, carried out between October 2007 and January 2008.
A total of 477 patients attending a Primary Care centre, with a medical consultation for GERD.
Use of healthcare resources, changes in productivity based on the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire for GERD patients (WPAI-GERD).
Despite having received pharmacological treatment at the baseline visit, after a median of 5.1 months follow-up (range 2.1-8.1), up to 15.9%(95%CI; 12.8-19.5) patients still showed clinically relevant GERD symptoms. Direct medical costs per year associated with diagnostic tests and medical consultations in patients with or without clinically relevant GERD symptoms were 666 鈧?(SD: 2,097 鈧? and 370 鈧?(SD: 2,060 鈧?, respectively. The mean annual cost of reduced productivity (17%) was 5,316 鈧?(SD: 8,615 鈧?. This cost was 4 times higher for patients with clinically relevant GERD symptoms than for patients with no relevant symptoms (15,188鈧?[SD: 11,206 鈧琞 vs 3,926 鈧?[SD: 7,232 鈧琞).
Patients with GERD use significant healthcare resources, attributable to associated medical costs and marked reduction in productivity, even though they receive pharmacological treatment.