Survey on the indirect costs of IBD
The aim of the study was to assess the influence of IBD on the patients productivity at work and relevant costs for society.
Within the framework of World IBD Day 2019 the European Federation of Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis Associations (EFCCA) is supporting a new study which aims to assess the indirect or invisible costs of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, collectively known as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
The study is conducted by the Polish Association Supporting People with IBD “J-elita” in cooperation with the Institute of Public Health, Jagiellonian University Medical College, and the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw under the joint patronage of EFCCA.
Chronic diseases have a significant impact on a patient’s ability to work and their productivity level. Indirect costs in this study refer to lost earnings (unemployment, reduced employment) not only of the IBD patient but also of informal caregivers such as family members/friends who have lost working days in order to take care of an IBD patient.
The study will map and compare the level of indirect costs related to IBD and provide evidence to policymakers and stakeholders - using a cost-utilitarian approach - to better prioritize effective IBD treatment and support measures aimed at improving the situation for people with IBD in the work place and labor market.
The report of the survey will be presented at a European Policy event in the second half of 2019 and detailed analysis will be disseminated by publication in a world-wide research journal.
How to participate in the study?
If you are 18 years old or older and suffer from an inflammatory bowel disease we would like to invite you to take part in a survey concerning indirect costs of IBD.
Eleven language versions are available: Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, English, Estonian, French, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish. The survey is open for participants from all European countries (www.ibdcosts.eu).
Answers to questions included in the questionnaire are very important for the assessment of nonmedical costs of inflammatory bowel diseases in Europe. The aim of the study is to assess the influence of inflammatory bowel diseases on the patients productivity at work and relevant costs for the society.
Participation in the study is voluntary and fully anonymous. Results will be available for EFCCA members and published in research journals.