The cost of cataract patients awaiting surgery

Purpose: To describe the cost for society services caused by the patients a waiting surgery for one year in Gothenburg, 1997, Methods: From a waiting list of 1458 patients awaiting cataract surgery 250 randomly selected patients were interviewed. The structured questions focu sed on community services, such as home help, subsidised travel by taxi, me dical treatment at home, visual aids, hospital stay and medical consultatio n, caused by the cataract symptoms. Results: The total cost for the community for the 1458 patients awaiting su rgery was an estimated SEK 5 200 000, Hospital stay and home help were the largest parts of this community expense. Conclusion: The direct costs for society for one year caused by 1458 patien ts awaiting cataract surgery with a mean waiting time of 9.8 months was app roximately the same as operating 800 patients (eyes).