Economic Burden and Cost-Effectiveness of Management of Non-Infectious Uveitis: A Systematic Review

PurposeTo evaluate the economic burden and cost-effectiveness of interventions and management of non-infectious uveitis (NIU).MethodsA comprehensive search was conducted across Medline, Embase, and Scopus databases from inception to March 2023. Risk of bias assessments were conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools.ResultsA total of 24 articles consisting of 16 economic burden studies (67%) and 9 cost-effectiveness or cost-utility studies (38%) met the inclusion criteria. Annual direct medical costs ranged from $16,428 to $134,135 USD 2023, with costs being 4.3 times higher for those with blindness compared to those without vision loss. Direct medical costs for corticosteroid, immunosuppressive, and biologic therapies were $19,497, $29.979, and $45,830, respectively. Indirect costs ranged from $806 to $57,170, with costs being 2.1 times higher for persistent NIU and 2.3 times higher for those with blindness. Annual medication and intervention costs ranged from $345 to $13,134, with prescription drug costs being 60% higher for blind patients compared to those with moderate vision loss. Overall, cost-effectiveness analyses show promise for treatments like adalimumab and certain implants, though the extent of economic benefit depends on price reductions and healthcare system variations. Varying parameters like willingness-to-pay (WTP) thresholds and input parameters further complicated comparability.ConclusionsNIU poses a significant economic impact, particularly in patients with blindness and those on advanced therapies. While evidence is growing in Western countries like the US and UK, further research in non-westernized countries is warranted for a comprehensive, global understanding of the disease's economic burden.