Economic impact of severe asthma in Spain: multicentre observational longitudinal study

AbstractObjective: Estimate the economic impact of severe asthma from the Spanish social perspective through the estimation of the associated annual direct and indirect costs. Methods: Observational, longitudinal, retrospective study carried out in 20 Spanish secondary settings (Pulmonology and Allergy Services) among patients aged ≥18, diagnosed with severe asthma according to European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society consensus and who have not experienced an exacerbation in the previous 2 months. Asthma-related healthcare resource utilization as well as asthma-related days off work were collected over a retrospective 12-month period from medical records review (inclusion period: June to November 2016). Total costs were calculated by multiplying the natural resource units used within 1 year by the corresponding unit cost. Costs were expressed in Euros for 2018. Results: A total of 303 patients were included, mean age was 54 years old and 67% were women. There were 5.7 physician visits per pa...