Chronic diseases cost between 0.02% and 6.77% of a country’s GDP

The cost of chronic diseases and their risk factors – as measured by cost-of-illness studies – is significant and sizeable, ranging from 0.02% to 6.77% of a country’s GDP, Jan Van Emelen (photo), Innovation Director, Union Nationale des Mutualites, Bruxelles, Belgium said during his presentation at the second edition of Chronic Disease and Health Management conference organized by Tarus Media. The solution to this problem represented the key topic of the conference: disease management.

From Jan Van Emelen’s perspectiv, chronic disease management represents, at the patient level: empowerment of patient, guaranteed service from birth to grave, at professional level: continuity of care model : prevention, early detection, early treatment, treatment, palliative care and at organizational level: finding new ways of financing. In Belgium, 10.4% of GDP spending on health care is consumed in proportion of 65% by the chronic disease patients.

Only the cardiac disease patients are responsbile for 8% of total health care costs. There is still a lot of uncertainty regarding chronic diseases and further research is needed, Jan Van Emelen emphasized during the conference, since chronic conditions and diseases are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in Europe, and research suggests that complex conditions such as diabetes and depression will impose an even greater health burden in the future.

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