The societal economic impact of vision impairment in adults 40 years and above: findings from the National Eye Survey of Trinidad and Tobago

T Braithwaite; H Bailey; D Bartholomew; V Maharaj; A Fraser; F Deomansingh; S S Ramsewak; V Tripathi; S Sharma; D Singh; S S Ramsewak; R R A Bourne; A Gray

doi:10.1038/s41433-023-02860-x

The societal economic impact of vision impairment in adults 40 years and above: findings from the National Eye Survey of Trinidad and Tobago

T Braithwaite, H Bailey, D Bartholomew, V Maharaj, A Fraser, F Deomansingh, S S Ramsewak, V Tripathi, S Sharma, D Singh, S S Ramsewak, R R A Bourne, A Gray

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Understanding and mitigating the societal economic impact of vision impairment (VI) is important for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

AIM: To estimate the prevalent societal economic impact of presenting VI in Trinidad and Tobago using bottom-up cost and utilisation data from the 2014 National Eye Survey of Trinidad and Tobago.

METHODS: We took a societal perspective to combine comprehensive, individual-level cost and utilisation data, with population-based prevalence estimates for VI, and additional data from a contemporaneous national eyecare system survey. We included direct (medical and non-medical) and indirect (productivity loss) costs, and intangible losses in total cost estimates, presented in 2014 Trinidad & Tobago (TT) dollars and UK sterling equivalent. We considered but excluded transfer payments and dead weight losses. Sensitivity analyses explored impact on total cost of parameter uncertainty and assumptions.

RESULTS: Individual utilisation and cost data were available for 65.5% (n = 2792/4263) and 59.0% (n = 2516/4263) eligible participants aged ≥40 years, respectively. Participant mean age was 58.4(SD 11.8, range 40-103) years, 56.3% were female. We estimated total societal cost of VI in 2014 at UK£365,650,241 (TT$3,842,324,655), equivalent to £675 per capita (population ≥40 years). Loss of wellbeing accounted for 73.3%. Excluding this, the economic cost was UK£97,547,222 (TT$1,025,045,399), of which indirect costs accounted for 70.5%, followed by direct medical costs (17.9%), and direct non-medical costs (11.6%).

CONCLUSION: This study provides a comprehensive estimate of the economic impact of vision loss in a Caribbean country, and highlights the extent to which affected individuals and their families bear the societal economic cost of vision impairment.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2124-2133
Number of pages	10
Journal	Eye (London, England)
Volume	38
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-023-02860-x
Publication status	Published - Aug 2024

Keywords

Humans
Trinidad and Tobago/epidemiology
Female
Middle Aged
Adult
Male
Cost of Illness
Aged
Vision Disorders/economics
Health Care Costs/statistics & numerical data
Prevalence
Aged, 80 and over
Persons with Visual Disabilities/statistics & numerical data
Health Surveys

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10.1038/s41433-023-02860-x

Cite this

Braithwaite, T., Bailey, H., Bartholomew, D., Maharaj, V., Fraser, A., Deomansingh, F., Ramsewak, S. S., Tripathi, V., Sharma, S., Singh, D., Ramsewak, S. S., Bourne, R. R. A., & Gray, A. (2024). The societal economic impact of vision impairment in adults 40 years and above: findings from the National Eye Survey of Trinidad and Tobago. Eye (London, England), 38(11), 2124-2133. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-023-02860-x

@article{b797f9401b7048daa8bf538e255ca647,

title = "The societal economic impact of vision impairment in adults 40 years and above: findings from the National Eye Survey of Trinidad and Tobago",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: Understanding and mitigating the societal economic impact of vision impairment (VI) is important for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.AIM: To estimate the prevalent societal economic impact of presenting VI in Trinidad and Tobago using bottom-up cost and utilisation data from the 2014 National Eye Survey of Trinidad and Tobago.METHODS: We took a societal perspective to combine comprehensive, individual-level cost and utilisation data, with population-based prevalence estimates for VI, and additional data from a contemporaneous national eyecare system survey. We included direct (medical and non-medical) and indirect (productivity loss) costs, and intangible losses in total cost estimates, presented in 2014 Trinidad & Tobago (TT) dollars and UK sterling equivalent. We considered but excluded transfer payments and dead weight losses. Sensitivity analyses explored impact on total cost of parameter uncertainty and assumptions.RESULTS: Individual utilisation and cost data were available for 65.5% (n = 2792/4263) and 59.0% (n = 2516/4263) eligible participants aged ≥40 years, respectively. Participant mean age was 58.4(SD 11.8, range 40-103) years, 56.3% were female. We estimated total societal cost of VI in 2014 at UK£365,650,241 (TT$3,842,324,655), equivalent to £675 per capita (population ≥40 years). Loss of wellbeing accounted for 73.3%. Excluding this, the economic cost was UK£97,547,222 (TT$1,025,045,399), of which indirect costs accounted for 70.5%, followed by direct medical costs (17.9%), and direct non-medical costs (11.6%).CONCLUSION: This study provides a comprehensive estimate of the economic impact of vision loss in a Caribbean country, and highlights the extent to which affected individuals and their families bear the societal economic cost of vision impairment.",

keywords = "Humans, Trinidad and Tobago/epidemiology, Female, Middle Aged, Adult, Male, Cost of Illness, Aged, Vision Disorders/economics, Health Care Costs/statistics & numerical data, Prevalence, Aged, 80 and over, Persons with Visual Disabilities/statistics & numerical data, Health Surveys",

author = "T Braithwaite and H Bailey and D Bartholomew and V Maharaj and A Fraser and F Deomansingh and Ramsewak, {S S} and V Tripathi and S Sharma and D Singh and Ramsewak, {S S} and Bourne, {R R A} and A Gray",

note = "{\textcopyright} 2023. The Author(s).",

year = "2024",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1038/s41433-023-02860-x",

language = "English",

volume = "38",

pages = "2124--2133",

journal = "Eye (London, England)",

issn = "0950-222X",

publisher = "Springer Nature [academic journals on nature.com]",

number = "11",

}

Braithwaite, T, Bailey, H, Bartholomew, D, Maharaj, V, Fraser, A, Deomansingh, F, Ramsewak, SS, Tripathi, V, Sharma, S, Singh, D, Ramsewak, SS, Bourne, RRA & Gray, A 2024, 'The societal economic impact of vision impairment in adults 40 years and above: findings from the National Eye Survey of Trinidad and Tobago', Eye (London, England), vol. 38, no. 11, pp. 2124-2133. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-023-02860-x

TY - JOUR

T1 - The societal economic impact of vision impairment in adults 40 years and above

T2 - findings from the National Eye Survey of Trinidad and Tobago

AU - Braithwaite, T

AU - Bailey, H

AU - Bartholomew, D

AU - Maharaj, V

AU - Fraser, A

AU - Deomansingh, F

AU - Ramsewak, S S

AU - Tripathi, V

AU - Sharma, S

AU - Singh, D

AU - Ramsewak, S S

AU - Bourne, R R A

AU - Gray, A

PY - 2024/8

Y1 - 2024/8

N2 - BACKGROUND: Understanding and mitigating the societal economic impact of vision impairment (VI) is important for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.AIM: To estimate the prevalent societal economic impact of presenting VI in Trinidad and Tobago using bottom-up cost and utilisation data from the 2014 National Eye Survey of Trinidad and Tobago.METHODS: We took a societal perspective to combine comprehensive, individual-level cost and utilisation data, with population-based prevalence estimates for VI, and additional data from a contemporaneous national eyecare system survey. We included direct (medical and non-medical) and indirect (productivity loss) costs, and intangible losses in total cost estimates, presented in 2014 Trinidad & Tobago (TT) dollars and UK sterling equivalent. We considered but excluded transfer payments and dead weight losses. Sensitivity analyses explored impact on total cost of parameter uncertainty and assumptions.RESULTS: Individual utilisation and cost data were available for 65.5% (n = 2792/4263) and 59.0% (n = 2516/4263) eligible participants aged ≥40 years, respectively. Participant mean age was 58.4(SD 11.8, range 40-103) years, 56.3% were female. We estimated total societal cost of VI in 2014 at UK£365,650,241 (TT$3,842,324,655), equivalent to £675 per capita (population ≥40 years). Loss of wellbeing accounted for 73.3%. Excluding this, the economic cost was UK£97,547,222 (TT$1,025,045,399), of which indirect costs accounted for 70.5%, followed by direct medical costs (17.9%), and direct non-medical costs (11.6%).CONCLUSION: This study provides a comprehensive estimate of the economic impact of vision loss in a Caribbean country, and highlights the extent to which affected individuals and their families bear the societal economic cost of vision impairment.

AB - BACKGROUND: Understanding and mitigating the societal economic impact of vision impairment (VI) is important for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.AIM: To estimate the prevalent societal economic impact of presenting VI in Trinidad and Tobago using bottom-up cost and utilisation data from the 2014 National Eye Survey of Trinidad and Tobago.METHODS: We took a societal perspective to combine comprehensive, individual-level cost and utilisation data, with population-based prevalence estimates for VI, and additional data from a contemporaneous national eyecare system survey. We included direct (medical and non-medical) and indirect (productivity loss) costs, and intangible losses in total cost estimates, presented in 2014 Trinidad & Tobago (TT) dollars and UK sterling equivalent. We considered but excluded transfer payments and dead weight losses. Sensitivity analyses explored impact on total cost of parameter uncertainty and assumptions.RESULTS: Individual utilisation and cost data were available for 65.5% (n = 2792/4263) and 59.0% (n = 2516/4263) eligible participants aged ≥40 years, respectively. Participant mean age was 58.4(SD 11.8, range 40-103) years, 56.3% were female. We estimated total societal cost of VI in 2014 at UK£365,650,241 (TT$3,842,324,655), equivalent to £675 per capita (population ≥40 years). Loss of wellbeing accounted for 73.3%. Excluding this, the economic cost was UK£97,547,222 (TT$1,025,045,399), of which indirect costs accounted for 70.5%, followed by direct medical costs (17.9%), and direct non-medical costs (11.6%).CONCLUSION: This study provides a comprehensive estimate of the economic impact of vision loss in a Caribbean country, and highlights the extent to which affected individuals and their families bear the societal economic cost of vision impairment.

KW - Humans

KW - Trinidad and Tobago/epidemiology

KW - Female

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Adult

KW - Male

KW - Cost of Illness

KW - Aged

KW - Vision Disorders/economics

KW - Health Care Costs/statistics & numerical data

KW - Prevalence

KW - Aged, 80 and over

KW - Persons with Visual Disabilities/statistics & numerical data

KW - Health Surveys

U2 - 10.1038/s41433-023-02860-x

DO - 10.1038/s41433-023-02860-x

M3 - Article

C2 - 38066111

SN - 0950-222X

VL - 38

SP - 2124

EP - 2133

JO - Eye (London, England)

JF - Eye (London, England)

IS - 11

ER -

The societal economic impact of vision impairment in adults 40 years and above: findings from the National Eye Survey of Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract

Keywords

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