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Time scale 2014-2015
Funder European Hematology Association
In collaboration with European Hematology Association, King’s College London
Further information Richéal Burns, José Leal, Ramón Luengo-Fernández

Blood disorders include a range of disorders such as anaemia, blood cancers, haemorrhagic disorders, blood cell disorders and disorders of the spleen of immune mechanism. The most common blood disorder is anaemia which reduces the number of red blood cells, hampering the ability of blood to carry oxygen. Blood cancers (e.g. Hodgkin’s lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and leukaemia) are one of the 10 most common forms of cancer and are responsible for approximately 100,000 deaths in Europe every year.

In order to understand the implications of these disorders, the European Hematology Association commissioned a study to assess the economic impact of all blood disorders across the EU-28, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. The study consisted of two analyses, one focusing on malignant blood disorders and the other non-malignant blood disorders.

The total economic cost of all blood disorders to the 31 European countries was €23 billion in 2012 – approximately half of all costs were related to malignant (€12 billion) and half to non-malignant (€11 billion) blood disorders. Healthcare costs represented a total of €16 billion and more than two thirds of this was spent on hospital inpatient care (€7 billion) and medications (€4 billion).

Publications

Economic burden of malignant blood disorders across Europe: a population-based cost analysis

Burns, R, Leal, J, Sullivan, R, Luengo-Fernandez, R (2016), The Lancet Haematology Volume 3, Issue 8, August 2016, Pages e362–e370

Economic burden of non-malignant blood disorders across Europe: a population-based cost study

Luengo-Fernandez, R, Burns, R, Leal, J (2016), The Lancet Haematology, Volume 3, Issue 8, August 2016, Pages e371–e378