- S Fullerton: Division of Digestive Diseases, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1684, USA.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to quantify the future worldwide economic impact of functional gastrointestinal disease and to describe international differences that might exist between major industrialized countries.
DESIGN: This study employs an econometric projection using data from the only known survey of national economic impact of functional gastrointestinal disease. Economic costs from this survey are combined with country specific population estimates, health care spending characteristics, and growth rates to estimate economic impact for major industrial countries.
RESULTS: The estimated economic impact of functional gastrointestinal disease for eight major industrial countries is over 41 billion U.S. dollars annually. This estimate includes both direct and indirect costs of disease.
CONCLUSION: The economic impact of functional gastrointestinal disease is large. Economic estimates are useful in policy decision making regarding the allocation of health care resources.