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Impact of inhaled corticosteroids on asthma hospitalization in Sweden

Gerdtham, Ulf G. LU orcid ; Hertzman, Peter ; Boman, Gunnar and Jönsson, Bengt LU (1996) In Applied Economics 28(12). p.1591-1599
Abstract

This paper has two purposes. The first is to examine whether increased medication of inhaled corticosteroids by asthmatic patients is correlated with an improvement in asthma control, measured as a reduction in asthma hospitalizations. The other purpose, if such a relationship can be established, is to analyse the economic consequences. Regional data on asthma hospitalization, i.e. number of bed-days, and sales of anti-asthmatic drugs from 14 regions in Sweden between 1978 and 1989 were used (covering 71% of the Swedish population). The data were analysed in multivariate pooled cross-section, time-series regressions. The variation in bed-days was explained by three variables: the sales of inhaled corticosteroids; total supply of... (More)

This paper has two purposes. The first is to examine whether increased medication of inhaled corticosteroids by asthmatic patients is correlated with an improvement in asthma control, measured as a reduction in asthma hospitalizations. The other purpose, if such a relationship can be established, is to analyse the economic consequences. Regional data on asthma hospitalization, i.e. number of bed-days, and sales of anti-asthmatic drugs from 14 regions in Sweden between 1978 and 1989 were used (covering 71% of the Swedish population). The data were analysed in multivariate pooled cross-section, time-series regressions. The variation in bed-days was explained by three variables: the sales of inhaled corticosteroids; total supply of in-patient care; and sales of inhaled bronchodilators, which were used as a proxy for asthma prevalence. The results indicate that sales of inhaled corticosteroids are significantly correlated with decreased hospitalizations for asthma. Assuming that the correlation also reflects a causal relationship, an increase in sales of inhaled corticosteroids by 1 defined daily dose (DDD) per day and 1000 inhabitants gave, on average over the study period, a reduction of 1.7 bed-days for asthma in in-patient care per 1000 inhabitants.

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author
; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Applied Economics
volume
28
issue
12
pages
9 pages
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:0000590560
ISSN
0003-6846
DOI
10.1080/000368496327561
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
82ddecd9-13cd-4b96-8849-3e54c8ec044d
date added to LUP
2018-10-09 12:37:33
date last changed
2022-01-31 05:58:18
@article{82ddecd9-13cd-4b96-8849-3e54c8ec044d,
  abstract     = {{<p>This paper has two purposes. The first is to examine whether increased medication of inhaled corticosteroids by asthmatic patients is correlated with an improvement in asthma control, measured as a reduction in asthma hospitalizations. The other purpose, if such a relationship can be established, is to analyse the economic consequences. Regional data on asthma hospitalization, i.e. number of bed-days, and sales of anti-asthmatic drugs from 14 regions in Sweden between 1978 and 1989 were used (covering 71% of the Swedish population). The data were analysed in multivariate pooled cross-section, time-series regressions. The variation in bed-days was explained by three variables: the sales of inhaled corticosteroids; total supply of in-patient care; and sales of inhaled bronchodilators, which were used as a proxy for asthma prevalence. The results indicate that sales of inhaled corticosteroids are significantly correlated with decreased hospitalizations for asthma. Assuming that the correlation also reflects a causal relationship, an increase in sales of inhaled corticosteroids by 1 defined daily dose (DDD) per day and 1000 inhabitants gave, on average over the study period, a reduction of 1.7 bed-days for asthma in in-patient care per 1000 inhabitants.</p>}},
  author       = {{Gerdtham, Ulf G. and Hertzman, Peter and Boman, Gunnar and Jönsson, Bengt}},
  issn         = {{0003-6846}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{1591--1599}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Applied Economics}},
  title        = {{Impact of inhaled corticosteroids on asthma hospitalization in Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/000368496327561}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/000368496327561}},
  volume       = {{28}},
  year         = {{1996}},
}