Letter: East-West differences in the economic impact of functional dyspepsia

Clinical and economic implications of upper gastrointestinal adverse events in Asian rheumatological patients on long‐term non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs

“…Based on published rates of the various upper GI adverse events, we extrapolated our costing data and calculated an estimated potential cost saving of MR 25 773–125 821 (USD 7879–38 466) in our population compared to the costs of managing a higher incidence of adverse events (Table ). The potential cost savings estimated for Asian patients on long‐term NSAIDs is also in line with a previous report by Mahadeva et al . which indicated that the economic impact of functional dyspepsia was less in Asia compared to the West, largely due to differences in direct healthcare costs and socio‐economic factors.…”

“…However, their data may not be relevant to Asian countries, as the cost of healthcare delivery in Asia is considerably lower compared to more developed nations . Furthermore, the clinical care and subsequent utilization of healthcare resources may differ between developed and developing nations . Therefore, this study aimed to determine the incidence of NSAID‐induced upper GI adverse events in Malaysian rheumatology patients on long‐term NSAIDs and calculate the direct costs of these adverse events from the perspective of the healthcare provider.…”

Mandarin version of the Leeds Dyspepsia Questionnaire: A valid instrument for assessing symptoms in Asians

“…Functional dyspepsia (FD) is the commonest cause of dyspepsia in both Western and Eastern countries. Unfortunately, treatment remains unsatisfactory in FD, resulting in an impact on patients' health‐related quality of life (QoL) and an economic burden for healthcare services due to frequent medical consultation for those with persistent symptoms …”

“…health-related quality of life (QoL) 3 and an economic burden for healthcare services due to frequent medical consultation for those with persistent symptoms. 10,11 An effective treatment for FD is badly required, but clinical trials assessing the efficacy of new treatments need an appropriate outcome measure. As FD is mainly a symptom-driven condition, questionnaires with established psychometrics are relied upon by researchers.…”

Letter: East-West differences in the economic impact of functional dyspepsia - authors’ reply

“…SIRS, We thank Drs Mahadeva and Goh for their interest in our recently published study evaluating the economic impact of functional dyspepsia (FD). 1,2 As they correctly state, FD is highly prevalent in both the West and the East. It should come as no surprise that the economic impact (both direct costs and indirect costs) of FD will differ from country to country based on the surveyed population (rural vs. urban), variations in health care utilisation, availability of different technologies and the average income of the surveyed population.…”