The study objective was to summarize and evaluate the literature from the last decade about the cost of illness (COI) of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME) through a systematic review.
Author conducted a search of the PubMed, and Google Scholar, electronic databases from January 2014 until July 2024, by identifying the following keywords ‘cost of illness,’ ‘economic burden,’ ‘diabetic retinopathy,’ and ‘diabetic macular edema.’ The review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.
The total number of identified titles were 6760. After screening, 22 articles assessing the COI associated with DR or DME were included. The treatment costs were high and varied across countries. More than half of studies (N = 13) measured direct medical costs from the healthcare perspective, utilizing information retrieved from electronic databases. These included costs associated with medications, equipment, procedures, diagnosis, hospitalization, rehabilitation, and inpatient/outpatient consultations. Seven studies measured both direct and indirect costs from a societal perspective. Intangible and informal cost analyses were rarely documented due to the challenges in retrieving necessary information. The majority of the studies (N = 16) had retrospective observational design.
This review highlights significant cost variability influenced by income levels, healthcare infrastructure, disease severity, and analytical perspectives. The growing economic burden of DR and DME underscores the importance of sufficient budget allocation. The heterogeneity in study designs and cost estimation methods points to an urgent need for standardization in COI research.
