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Volume 12, Number 4—April 2006
Research

Economic Impact of Lyme Disease

Xinzhi Zhang*Comments to Author , Martin I. Meltzer*, César A. Peña†1, Annette B. Hopkins†, Lane Wroth‡, and Alan D. Fix†
Author affiliations: *Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; †University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; ‡Care First-Easton Branch (previously Delmarva Health Plan), Easton, Maryland, USA

Main Article

Table 4

Indirect medical cost, nonmedical cost, and productivity loss*† per Lyme disease (LD) patient in Maryland Eastern Shore, 1997–1998

Diagnosis group‡ Cohort No. Indirect medical cost (US$)§
Nonmedical cost (US$)¶
Productivity loss (US$)#
Median Mean SD** Median Mean SD Median Mean SD
Early-stage LD 1997 20 20 164 428 27 109 219 28 411 1,095
1998 39 8 307 1,773 8 23 71 49 88 85
Late-stage LD 1997 6 35 579 1,295 22 60 85 273 7,762 17,458
1998 19 11 389 1,448 37 6,703 22,405 46 9,108 28,284
Suspected LD 1997 22 5 25 49 8 24 37 26 83 164
1998 32 0 12 22 4 12 17 44 109 197
Tick bite 1997 31 0 37 105 9 155 731 7 73 151
1998 31 0 11 40 8 17 50 19 66 79
Other 1997 33 0 31 102 11 143 696 28 233 605
1998 51 0 11 21 4 23 95 19 300 1,539

*Indirect medical costs, nonmedical costs, and productivity losses were acquired from patient questionnaire (1997–1998).
†All costs were converted to 2000 equivalent.
‡Patients were divided into 5 diagnosis groups: clinically defined early-stage LD, clinically defined late-stage LD, suspected LD, tick bite, and other related complaints.
§Indirect medical costs refer to prescription and nonprescription drug costs patients paid out of pocket.
¶Nonmedical costs are payments made for home/health aides and miscellaneous services, such as transportation and babysitting.
#Productivity losses refer to losses in earning due to illness.
**SD, standard deviation.

Main Article

1Current affiliation: Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Page created: January 19, 2012
Page updated: January 19, 2012
Page reviewed: January 19, 2012
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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