HealthSWEDE : costs with sublingual immunotherapy - a Swedish questionnaire study

Background The aim of this cross-sectional survey was to compare the health-economic consequences for allergic rhinitis (AR) patients treated with sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT) in terms of direct and indirect costs with a reference population of patients receiving standard of care pharmacological therapy. Methods Primary objective was to analyse the health-economic consequences of SLIT for grass pollen allergy in Sweden vs reference group waiting for subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT). A questionnaire was mailed to two groups of AR patients. Results The questionnaire was distributed to 548 patients, 307 with SLIT and 241 in reference group (waiting for SCIT). Response rate was 53.8%. Mean annual costs were higher for reference patients than SLIT group; euro 3907 (SD 4268) vs euro 2084 (SD 1623) p < 0.001. Mean annual direct cost was higher for SLIT-patients, euro 1191 (SD 465) than for reference, euro 751 (SD 589) p < 0.001. Mean annual indirect costs for combined absenteeism and presenteeism were lower for patients treated with SLIT, euro 912 (SD 1530), than for reference, euro 3346 (SD 4120) p < 0.001, with presenteeism as main driver. Conclusions SLIT seems to be a cost-beneficial way to treat seasonal AR. This information might be used to guide future recommendations.Funding Agencies|Karolinska InstituteKarolinska Institutet; Swedish Rhinological Research Alliance (SRFA)