Inherited ataxias carry high financial costs to the health system, patients, caregivers and society as a whole. Costs are similar between FRDA and other forms of inherited ataxia and grow as disability increases over the course of the illness. Indirect costs or ‘productivity losses’ make up half the COI and place a significant financial burden on patients. Despite this, there is evidence to suggest that certain clinical standards of care such as frequency of clinician review, OHP input and monitoring investigations are not being met, possibly reflecting the limited availability of resources. The results of this study advocate the need for greater funding in inherited ataxia care in Ireland to ease the financial burden on patients and improve resource availability.
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
The Cost of Living with Inherited Ataxia in Ireland
Mark J. Kelly, Petya Bogdanova-Mihaylova, Joshua Skeens, Sharon Moran, Sorcha Farrelly, Richard A. Walsh & Sinéad M. Murphy. Cerebellum (2021). doi:10.1007/s12311-021-01271-6
