SOCIAL COST OF FEMALE URINARY INCONTINENCE: EPIDEMIOLOGY, COST OF ILLNESS AND COST/EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a broad, transversal, observational survey on the social cost of female urinary incontinence in the general female population, resident in the ASL3-Monza area. In this population, in an 18- 65 year old age group, the prevalence of U.I. observed is 28.5% (LIFE cases) and 18.6% (YEAR cases). The total number of incontinent women in the ASL3-Monza area and in the Lombardy Region can be estimated as follows: - ASL3-Monza 125,288 “LIFE” cases, 81,767 (18.6% of 439,609) “YEAR” cases. - Lombardy Region 1,119,480 “LIFE” cases, 730,608 (18.6% of 3,928,709) “YEAR” cases. In the light of the data collected, we can estimate that in the Lombardy Region and in the ASL3-Monza area, at least 379,600 (52% of 730,608) and 42,518 (52% of 81,767) incontinent women use protection and 175,200 (24% of 730,608) and 19,624 (24% of 81,767) consider using a pad to be the only useful solution to the problem. The “estimated” mean/annual cost per woman in an incontinent population with characteristics similar to those of the general female population of the ASL3-Monza is € 358,03, for a mean/life cost per woman of € 11.099,20.When there is no effective treatment of the symptom, we can estimate the following total cost/life in the ASL3-Monza area to be: 65,414 x 31 x € 358,03 = € 726.025.407. If the symptom disappears and the treatment is effective, this is also an advantage, apart from the obvious requirement for public health related to it, from a strictly pharmacological-economic point of view. The estimated total/life cost for the treatment (with the most effective medical, rehabilitative and/or surgical therapy available today) of a sample of 1,000 incontinent women of the ASL3- Monza area is significatively lower than the total cost/life expected in the case of persistence and “assistance” of the symptom: € 4.502.812,10 vs. € 23.451.270,02. Despite the methodological limits of a pilot study (single centre collection of data, limited samples, analysis of “theoretical” populations), from the data collected it appears clear that the more incisive and determined the strategy of information and education, and the fuller and earlier the diagnosis, the more significative the social- economic, as well as the psycho-social saving.