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In Switzerland a rapid increase in the total overweight population (BMI ≥ 25) from 30.3% to 37.3% and in the obese segment (BMI ≥ 30) from 5.4% to 8.1% was observed between 1992 and 2007. The objective of this study is to produce a projection until 2022 for the development of adult overweight and obesity in Switzerland based on four National Health Surveys conducted between 1992 and 2007. Based on the projection, these prevalence rates may be expected to stabilize until 2022 at the 2007 level. These results were compared with future projections estimated for France, UK, US and Australia using the same model.

The study gives insight into the structure of incremental cost caused by NP and shows that based on a conservative cost calculation the incremental cost per NP patient is higher for the hospital than for health insurance funds which indicates a significant financial deficit for the hospital. Antibiotics and microbiology together only contribute 6.8% to incremental cost. Therefore in a cost saving initiative their close relationship to length of hospitalization must be considered.

Zusammenfassung AbstractThe present cost-of-illness study is focused on the costs of COPD in Germany. In a pre-study, data on 814 randomly selected patients were collected to achieve reliable figures for the distribution of COPD severity grades and the frequencies of exacerbations. The main study was performed on 321 randomly selected patients from the pre-study. Data on resource use were collected in a face-to-face interview with the respective physicians using the patient records as a basis. Costs associated with resource consumption were weighted with the frequencies of COPD severity grades as assessed in the pre-study to determine the costs of COPD. Annual COPD-related costs per patient were € 3,027 from the societal perspective. Main cost components were hospitalisations (26 %), medication (23 %) and early retirement (17 %). Annual COPD-related costs from the perspective of the German health insurance system (GKV) were € 1,944 per patient.

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Cost-effectiveness appraisals as performed by NICE or the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (Institut für Qualität und Wirtschaftlichkeit im Gesundheitswesen, IQWiG) are a useful and important tool to enhance the discussion about methods and acceptance of evidence-based medicine in general.

The cost-effectiveness of ceftriaxone 1 g in the treatment of pneumonia in general medical wards was compared with that of second-generation cephalosporins. A total of 1,706 patients were treated with either a second-generation cephalosporin (cefotiam, cefuroxime) or ceftriaxone (single daily dose of 1 g), and 604 in each group were included in a matched-pair analysis. Cure or improvement in response to monotherapy was observed in 81.4% of patients on cefuroxime/cefotiam vs 91% of those on ceftriaxone (P < 0.0001). Adverse events occurred with equal frequency in both groups (1.9%). In terms of mean hospital costs for antimicrobial medication, the staff required to administer it as well as laboratory and X-ray examinations, effective treatment with ceftriaxone is DM 193/$ 105 (25%) less expensive than effective treatment with a second-generation cephalosporin (P < 0.001). From the perspective of the health insurance, the costs for a patient treated with ceftriaxone are DM 3,910/$ 2,140 vs DM 4,392/$ 2,400 for a patient treated with a second-generation cephalosporin (March 1998: USD 1 = DM 1.83).