The cost of paediatric and perianal Crohn's disease in Canterbury, New Zealand.

AIMS The aim of this study was to determine the direct and indirect costs of Crohn's disease (CD) in paediatric and perianal patients in Canterbury in one year. METHODS A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was performed. Paediatric CD patients and adult patients with perianal CD were recruited over a three month period. Interviews were conducted to obtain information regarding demographic, socioeconomic factors, and indirect costs. Hospital clinical notes were reviewed to determine direct health care utilisation and costs. RESULTS Forty-nine patients (24 paediatric and 25 perianal CD) were enrolled. In one year the total costs per patient for paediatric CD were $14,375 with direct and indirect costs comprising $12,583 and $1,792, respectively. The total costs per patient for perianal CD were $20,366 with direct and indirect costs comprising $18,261 and $2,105, respectively. Extrapolating these data across New Zealand, the total cost of paediatric and perianal CD in one year is approximately $25.9 million and $36.7 million, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Paediatric and perianal CD are high-cost diseases with significant costs borne by patients and their families. Expensive pharmaceuticals comprise a significant proportion of the costs: increased access to these drugs might decrease hospital admissions and prevent work absenteeism and loss of carer productivity.