Labour productivity losses caused by premature death associated with hepatitis C in Spain

• Published in: European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology Vol. 27; no. 6; pp. 631 - 637
• Main Authors: Oliva-Moreno, Juan, Peña-Longobardo, Luz M, Alonso, Sonia, Fernández-Bolaños, Antonio, Gutiérrez, María Luisa, Hidalgo-Vega, Álvaro, de la Fuente, Elsa, Fernández-Rodríguez, Conrado M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Copyright Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved 01-06-2015; Lippincott Williams And Wilkins
• Subjects: Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - economics; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - mortality; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - virology; Coinfection - economics; Coinfection - mortality; Computer Simulation; Cost of Illness; Efficiency; Employment - statistics & numerical data; Hepatitis C, Chronic - complications; Hepatitis C, Chronic - economics; Hepatitis C, Chronic - mortality; HIV Infections - economics; HIV Infections - mortality; Humans; Liver Cirrhosis - economics; Liver Cirrhosis - mortality; Liver Cirrhosis - virology; Liver Neoplasms - economics; Liver Neoplasms - mortality; Liver Neoplasms - virology; Models, Theoretical; Mortality, Premature; Original : Hepatitis; Spain - epidemiology; Spain
• ISSN: 0954-691X; 1473-5687
• DOI: 10.1097/MEG.0000000000000336

BACKGROUND AND AIMSHepatitis C virus (HCV) infection places a huge burden on healthcare systems. There is no study assessing the impact of HCV infection on premature deaths in Spain. The aim of this study was to estimate productivity losses because of premature deaths attributable to hepatitis C occurring in Spain during 2007–2011.
MATERIALS AND METHODSWe use data from several sources (Registry of Deaths, Labour Force Survey and Wage Structure Survey) to develop a simulation model based on the human capital approach and to estimate the flows in labour productivity losses in the period considered. The attributable fraction method was used to estimate the numbers of deaths associated with HCV infection. Two sensitivity analyses were developed to test the robustness of the results.
RESULTSOur model shows total productivity losses attributable to HCV infection of 1054.7 million euros over the period analysed. The trend in productivity losses is decreasing over the period. This result is because of improvements in health outcomes, reflected in the reduction of the number of years of potential productive life lost. Of the total estimated losses, 18.6% were because of hepatitis C, 24.6% because of hepatocellular carcinoma, 30.1% because of cirrhosis, 15.9% because of other liver diseases and 10.7% because of HIV–HCV coinfection.
CONCLUSIONThe results show that premature mortality attributable to hepatitis C involves significant productivity losses. This highlights the need to extend the analysis to consider other social costs and obtain a more complete picture of the actual economic impact of hepatitis C infection.