The cost of atrial fibrillation in Italy

– OBJECTIVE: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a relevant item of expenditure for the National Healthcare systems. The aim of the study was to estimate the annual costs of AF in Italy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The Italian Survey of Atrial Fibrillation Management Study enrolled 6.036 patients with AF among 295.906 subjects representative of the Italian population. Data were collected by 233 General Practitioners (GPs) distributed across Italy. Quantities of resources used during the 5 years preceding the ISAF screening were inferred from the survey data and multiplied by the current Italian unit costs of 2015 in order to estimate the mean per patient annual cumulative cost of AF. Patients were subdivided on the basis of the number of hospitalizations, invasive/non-invasive diagnostic tests and invasive therapeutic procedures in 3 different clinical subsets: “low cost”, “ medium cost” and “high cost clinical scenario”. RESULTS: The estimated mean costs per patient per year were 613 €, 891 € and 1213 € for the “Low cost”, “Medium cost” and “High Cost Clinical Scenario” respectively. Hospitalizations and inpatient interventional procedures accounted for more than 80% of the cumulative annual costs. The mean annual costs among patients pursuing “Rhythm control” strategy was 956 €. CONCLUSIONS: In Italy, the estimated costs of AF per patient per year are lower than those reported in other developed countries and vary widely related to the different characteristics of AF patients. Hospitalizations and interventional procedures are the main drivers of costs. The mean annual cost of AF is mainly influenced by the duration of the period of observation and the patients’ characteristics. Measures to reduce hospitalizations are needed. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences The cost of atrial fibrillation in Italy: a five-year analysis of healthcare expenditure in the general population. From the Italian Survey of Atrial Fibrillation Management (ISAF) study M. ZONI BERISSO1, M. LANDOLINA2, G. ERMINI3, D. PARRETTI3, G.L. ZINGARINI4, L. DEGLI ESPOSTI5, C. CRICELLI3, G. BORIANI6 1Department of Cardiology ASL 3 “Genovese”, Ospedale Padre A. Micone, Genoa, Italy 2Department of Cardiology, Ospedale Maggiore, Crema, Italy 3Italian College of General Pratictioners, Florence, Italy 4Department of Cardiology, Ospedale S. Maria della Misercordia, Perugia, Italy 5Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Glicon s.r.l., Ravenna, Italy 6Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Modena, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy Corresponding Author: Massimo Zoni Berisso, MD; e-mail: [email protected] 175