نبذة مختصرة : Leicht H, Heinrich S, Heider D, Bachmann C, Bickel H, van den Bussche H, Fuchs A, Luppa M, Maier W, Mosch E, Pentzek M, Rieder-Heller SG, Tebarth F, Werle J, Weyerer S, Wiese B, Zimmermann T, Konig H-H, for the AgeCoDe study group. Net costs of dementia by disease stage. Objective: To estimate net costs of dementia by degree of severity from a societal perspective, including a detailed assessment of costs of formal and informal nursing care. Method: In a cross-sectional study, costs of illness were analysed in 176 dementia patients and 173 matched non-demented control subjects. Healthcare resource use and costs were assessed retrospectively by means of a questionnaire. Dementia patients were classified into three disease stages, and linear regression models were applied to estimate net costs of dementia by degree of severity. Results: Annual net costs of dementia by stage were approximately €15 000 (mild), €32 000 (moderate) and €42 000 (severe), corresponding to US-$21 450, 45 760 and 60 060 respectively. Across disease stages, nursing care accounted for approximately three-quarters of total costs, of which half resulted from informal care. In sensitivity analyses using different valuation methods for nursing care, total costs decreased or increased by more than 20%. Conclusion: Net costs more than double across stages of dementia. Informal care accounts for a considerable share of nursing care costs, and the approach to valuation of informal care has a large impact on cost-of-illness estimates.
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