Biomaterial Database

The financial effects of kidney stone prevention. 1996

J H Parks, and F L Coe

Program in Nephrology, University of Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Prevention of nephrolithiasis (NL) is now medically feasible and widely recommended. However, diagnosis and treatment of remediable causes of stones requires testing and drugs that impose a cost; this cost is balanced by the presumed reductions in stone related events and medical encounters. In order to assess the balance between these, we have analyzed results from 1092 patients with NL unselected except for having clinical follow-up during treatment. From this population, we have derived the changes in rates of new stones, hospitalizations, cystoscopies, and surgical procedures. From these changes, and assignment of a range of possible dollar costs, we estimate that medical stone prevention will result in an average saving of $2,158 +/- $500 (SEM)/patient/year, which is the difference between an expenditure of $1,068/patient on yearly drugs and testing, and a reduction of $3,226 per patient in medical costs. Medical prevention of NL seems justified on a cost saving basis quite apart from its benefits to patients in terms of reduced morbidity and risk from procedures, obstruction, and infection.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007669	Kidney Calculi	Stones in the KIDNEY, usually formed in the urine-collecting area of the kidney (KIDNEY PELVIS). Their sizes vary and most contains CALCIUM OXALATE.	Kidney Stones,Renal Calculi,Nephrolith,Renal Calculus,Calculi, Kidney,Calculi, Renal,Calculus, Kidney,Calculus, Renal,Kidney Calculus,Kidney Stone,Stone, Kidney,Stones, Kidney
D004032	Diet	Regular course of eating and drinking adopted by a person or animal.	Diets
D005500	Follow-Up Studies	Studies in which individuals or populations are followed to assess the outcome of exposures, procedures, or effects of a characteristic, e.g., occurrence of disease.	Followup Studies,Follow Up Studies,Follow-Up Study,Followup Study,Studies, Follow-Up,Studies, Followup,Study, Follow-Up,Study, Followup
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012307	Risk Factors	An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, inborn or inherited characteristic, which, based on epidemiological evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent.	Health Correlates,Risk Factor Scores,Risk Scores,Social Risk Factors,Population at Risk,Populations at Risk,Correlates, Health,Factor, Risk,Factor, Social Risk,Factors, Social Risk,Risk Factor,Risk Factor Score,Risk Factor, Social,Risk Factors, Social,Risk Score,Score, Risk,Score, Risk Factor,Social Risk Factor
D016527	Drug Costs	The amount that a health care institution or organization pays for its drugs. It is one component of the final price that is charged to the consumer (FEES, PHARMACEUTICAL or PRESCRIPTION FEES).	Cost, Drug,Costs, Drug,Drug Cost
D017281	Cost of Illness	The personal cost of disease which may be economic, social, or psychological. The cost of illness may be reflected in absenteeism, productivity, response to treatment, peace of mind, or QUALITY OF LIFE. It differs from HEALTH CARE COSTS, the societal cost of providing services related to the delivery of health care.	Burden Of Disease,Burden of Illness,Disease Burden,Disease Costs,Cost of Disease,Cost of Sickness,Costs of Disease,Disease Cost,Economic Burden of Disease,Sickness Cost,Burden Of Diseases,Burden, Disease,Cost, Disease,Disease Burdens,Illness Burden,Illness Burdens,Illness Cost,Illness Costs,Sickness Costs