(106) Prevalence, incidence rate and attributable healthcare costs of four major disease groups in Denmark: A nationwide cohort study

Background: Healthcare costs exhibit notable variations across different disease groups, geographical regions, and in the first year after diagnosis. Understanding these variations is important for resources allocation and policy planning. This study investigates these variations within four major disease groups in Denmark: brain diseases, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and kidney diseases.

Objectives: The primary objective is to determine the prevalence, incidence rate, and the direct, attributable cost per person within four diseases diagnosed in-hospital to illustrate resource allocation in Denmark.

Methods: This nationwide, registry-based study utilized person-specific data from various Danish registries, providing a comprehensive view of healthcare costs nationwide. For all individuals alive on January 1, 2015, with hospital-diagnosed brain disorder, cancer, cardiovascular disease, or kidney disease (prevalent cohort) and all persons with an incident diagnosis during 2011-2015 (incident cohort), we estimated costs from hospital, prescription, and other national health care registers. Costs are estimated in euros (EUR) valued in 2015.

Results: We identified 1,075,081 persons with prevalent brain disorders, 1,039,285 persons with prevalent cardiovascular disease, 273,546 persons with cancer, and 64,136 persons with kidney disease diagnosed in-hospital in Denmark. This corresponds to a prevalence of 18,879 per 100,000 persons for brain disorders, 4,789 for cardiovascular disease, 18,196 for cancer, and 1,123 for kidney disease. Among the disease groups studied, the incidence rates per 100,000 person-years differed from 177 for kidney disease and 626 for cancer to 1,349 and 1,305 for brain disorders and cardiovascular disease, respectively. Costs per person in 2015 for prevalent brain diseases, cancer, and cardiovascular disorders were similar at approximately 4,500 EUR, while kidney disease costs were higher at 10,450 EUR per person. The first year after diagnosis was particularly expensive for cancer and kidney disease, with costs of 30,220 EUR and 27,870 EUR, respectively, compared to 12,783 EUR for brain disorders and 11,927 EUR for cardiovascular diseases.

Conclusions: The study’s findings highlight the variations in healthcare costs across different disease groups in Denmark. Policymakers and healthcare professionals should consider these differences when allocating resources and planning interventions. Further research is needed to explore cost-saving strategies and address the high per person cost of kidney diseases.