Contact patterns and costs of multiple sclerosis in the Swedish healthcare system-A population-based quantitative study

Background: The burden of disease for persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) and society is changing due to new treatments. Knowledge about the total need for care is necessary in relation to changing needs and new service models.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the contact patterns for MS patients, calculate costs in health care, and create meaningful subgroups to analyze contact patterns.

Methods: All patients diagnosed with MS at Ryhov Hospital were included. All contacts in the region from January 1, 2018, until September 30, 2019, were retrieved from the hospital administrative system. Data about age, sex, contacts, and diagnosis were registered. The cost was calculated using case costing, and costs for prescriptions were calculated from medical files.

Results: During the 21-month period, patients (n = 305) had 9628 contacts and 7471 physical visits, with a total cost of $7,766,109. Seventeen percent of the patients accounted for 48% of the visits. The median annual cost was $7386 in the group with 10 or fewer visits, compared to $22,491 in patients with more than 50 visits.

Conclusion: There are considerable differences in the utilization of care and cost between patients with MS in an unselected population, meaning that the care needs to be better customized to each patient's demands.