New insights into the burden and costs of multiple sclerosis in Europe: Results for France:

Introduction:To estimate the value of interventions in multiple sclerosis (MS) – where lifetime costs and outcomes cannot be observed – outcome data have to be combined with costs. This requires that cost data be regularly updated.Objectives and methods:This study is part of a cross-sectional retrospective study in 16 countries collecting data on resource consumption and work capacity, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and prevalent symptoms for patients with MS. Descriptive analyses are presented by level of severity, in the societal perspective, in EUR 2015.Results:A total of 491 patients (mean age 47 years) participated; 82% were below retirement age, and of these 56% were employed. Employment was related to disease severity, and MS affected productivity at work for 90% of patients. Overall, 95% and 67% of patients experienced fatigue and cognition as a problem, respectively. The mean utility and annual costs were 0.735 and €22,600 at Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) 0–3, 0.500 and €38,100 ...