The treatment of newly diagnosed patients with glaucoma or with ocular hypertension in the Netherlands: an observational study of costs and initial treatment success based on retrospective chart review

To determine the health care resource use and costs of patients with glauco ma or ocular hypertension in the Netherlands during the first 2 years after primary diagnosis, we performed a study based on retrospective chart revie w. Data of 200 patients and their health care resource use were collected i n five hospitals. Unit-prices were calculated using micro costing in two ho spitals. The mean 2-year costs per patient were estimated to be US$ 877. Ou tpatient visits to the ophthalmologist and medications were the cost-drivin g factors, and were responsible for 40 and 30% of total costs, respectively . Total costs were considered to be low, when compared to the estimated cos ts per patient in Sweden and the USA. In multiple least-squares regression only baseline IOP-value, the change in IOP-value between baseline and the n ext visit and the hospital of treatment were significantly related with tot al costs. The variation in costs between patients largely depended on wheth er or not a patient had undergone surgery.