A systematic review of the cost of chronic pelvic pain in women.

Abstract Objective To systematically summarize evidence on the costs related to chronic pelvic pain (CPP) for women. Data sources Electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane Library) were searched from 1990 up until January 2021, and limited to only English and French studies. Study selection Of 1304 papers screened, 67 were screened in full-text, with a total of 13 studies included in final analysis. Studies focused on cost studies that estimated hospital cost or health system cost for pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, endometriosis with pain, interstitial cystitis or painful bladder syndrome were included. Data extraction and synthesis A standardized data extraction form was created to extract study setting, design, and population, patient demographics, study duration, reported costs of chronic pelvic pain components and amounts. Two independent reviewers completed the data extraction and discrepancies were resolved through discussion with third reviewer available. Conclusion Estimated healthcare costs ranged from $1,367 to $7,043 per woman per year (USD). The prescription costs ranged from $193 to $2,457 per woman per year. Indirect costs ranged from $4,216 to $12,789 per woman per year. Combined costs ranged from $1,820 to $20,898 per woman per year. The yearly costs of CPP varied according to the country; yearly costs were estimated to be $2.8 billion/year, ¥191,680 to ¥246,488 per woman per year, and $16,970 to $20,898 per woman per year in the US, Japan, and Australia respectively. The literature suggests that chronic pelvic pain represents a considerable economic burden on women and healthcare systems internationally, with indirect costs contributing a significant portion of total costs.