2012-08-20
Lost Productivity in Four European Countries among Patients with Rheumatic Disorders
Publication
Publication
Abstract
Background: When national pharmacoeconomic guidelines are compared,
different recommendations are identified on how to identify, measure and
value lost productivity, leading to difficulties when comparing lost productivity
estimates across countries. From a transferability point of view, the
question arises of whether differences between countries regarding lost productivity
are the result of using different calculation methods (methodological
differences) or of other between-country differences. When lost productivity
data differ significantly across countries, the transferability of lost productivity
data across countries is hindered.
Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate whether country of
residence has a significant influence on the quantity of lost productivity
among patients with rheumatic disorders. Confounding factors that might
differ between countries were corrected for, while the methodology used to
identify and measure lost productivity was kept the same.
Methods: This question was investigated by means of an online questionnaire
filled out by 200 respondents with a rheumatic disorder per country in four
European countries, namely the Netherlands, the UK, Germany and France.
In addition to those regarding lost productivity, the questionnaire contained
questions about patient characteristics, disability insurance, disease characteristics,
quality of life and job characteristics as these variables are expected to
influence lost productivity in terms of absenteeism and presenteeism. The data
were analysed by regression analyses, in which different components – being
absent in last 3 months, number of days absent and presenteeism – of lost
productivity were the main outcome measures and other variables, such as
gender, impact of disease, shift work, job control, partial disability and overall
general health, were corrected for.
Results: The results showed that country sometimes has a significant influence
on lost productivity and that other variables such as, for example, age,
disease severity, number of contract hours, decision latitude, experienced
health (as reported on the visual analogue scale) and partial disability, also
influence lost productivity.A significant influence of country of residence was
found on the variables ‘being absent in the last three months’, ‘number of
days absent’ and ‘quality of work on the last working day’. However, country
did not influence ‘quantity of work on the last working day’ and ‘overall
presenteeism on the last working day’.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that country has a significant influence on
lost productivity among patients with rheumatic disorders, when corrected
for other variables that have an influence on absenteeism and presenteeism.
Transferring lost productivity data across countries without adaptation is
hindered by the significant differences between countries in this patient
group. As a result, transferring lost productivity data, being either monetary
values or volumes of productivity losses, between countries can give wrong
estimations of the cost effectiveness of treatments.
Key points for decision makers
- Differences between countries can be found on self-reported lost productivity by people with
a rheumatic disorder
- A number of factors also have an influence on lost productivity and should therefore be taken
into account
- It is not advisable to use lost productivity data from other countries without adaptation as it can
lead to an over- or underestimation of the cost effectiveness of treatments
Additional Metadata | |
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doi.org/10.2165/11591520-000000000-00000, hdl.handle.net/1765/50345 | |
Organisation | Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management (ESHPM) |
Knies, S., Candel, M., Boonen, A., Evers, S., Ament, A., & Severens, H. (2012). Lost Productivity in Four European Countries among Patients with Rheumatic Disorders. doi:10.2165/11591520-000000000-00000 |