Article Text
Abstract
Aims: To quantify the total economic costs of vision loss in Australia.
Methods: Prevalence data of visual impairment, unpublished data on indirect costs, and national healthcare cost databases were used.
Results: Vision disorders cost Australia an estimated A$9.85 billion in 2004. A$4.8 billion is the loss of wellbeing (years of life lost as a result of disability and premature mortality). Vision disorders rank seventh and account for 2.7% of the national loss of wellbeing. Direct health system costs total A$1.8 billion. They have increased by A$1 billion over the last 10 years and will increase a further A$1–2 billion in the next 10 years. Cataract, the largest direct cost, takes 18% of expenditure. The health system costs place vision disorders seventh, ahead of coronary heart disease, diabetes, depression, and stroke. Indirect costs, A$3.2 billion, include carers’ costs, low vision aids, lost earnings, and other welfare payments and taxes.
Conclusions: Even a developed economy such as Australia’s cannot afford avoidable vision loss. Priority needs to be given to prevent preventable vision loss; to treat treatable eye diseases; and to increase research into vision loss that can be neither prevented nor treated.
- AIHW, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
- DALY, disability adjusted life years
- DCIS, Disease Costs and Impact Study
- DWLs, dead weight losses
- NCHPE, National Centre for Health Program Evaluation
- NPV, net present value
- QALY, quality adjusted life year
- YLL, years of life lost as a result of premature death
- YLD, years of healthy life lost as a result of disability
- visual impairment
- Australia
- AIHW, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
- DALY, disability adjusted life years
- DCIS, Disease Costs and Impact Study
- DWLs, dead weight losses
- NCHPE, National Centre for Health Program Evaluation
- NPV, net present value
- QALY, quality adjusted life year
- YLL, years of life lost as a result of premature death
- YLD, years of healthy life lost as a result of disability
- visual impairment
- Australia
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- AIHW, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
- DALY, disability adjusted life years
- DCIS, Disease Costs and Impact Study
- DWLs, dead weight losses
- NCHPE, National Centre for Health Program Evaluation
- NPV, net present value
- QALY, quality adjusted life year
- YLL, years of life lost as a result of premature death
- YLD, years of healthy life lost as a result of disability
- visual impairment
- Australia
- AIHW, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
- DALY, disability adjusted life years
- DCIS, Disease Costs and Impact Study
- DWLs, dead weight losses
- NCHPE, National Centre for Health Program Evaluation
- NPV, net present value
- QALY, quality adjusted life year
- YLL, years of life lost as a result of premature death
- YLD, years of healthy life lost as a result of disability
- visual impairment
- Australia
Footnotes
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Competing interests: none declared