Health-related quality of life, work productivity and costs related to patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Austria.

Objective: Inflammatory-Bowel-Disease (IBD) is a lifelong illness with significant impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The disease-burden causes work productivity impairment, such as sick-leave and restriction of leisure time activities. From a societal perspective, productivity loss often contributes significantly to the total costs. The aim of the study is to analyze the impact of disease-burden on work productivity, daily activities, and HRQoL.

Methods: We performed a survey among Austrian patients with IBD to assess general questions about demography and disease pattern, impaired work productivity and reduced daily activities using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire and HRQoL utilizing the Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (SIBDQ). Associations were assessed employing linear regressions. The questionnaire was circulated by the Austrian Crohn's Disease/Ulcerative Colitis Association.

Results: In total, 510 patients with median age of 40 years completed the questionnaire. Patients had a median disease-duration of 9 years, 46% were treated with biologics and 64% were employed. The median SIBDQ score was 45 (16-69). Patients in self-assessed remission ( = 319) and relapse ( = 96) differed by 18 points on the SIBDQ score ( value < 0.0001). Mean work productivity reduction amounted to 7 h 17 min (95% CI 6:05-8:29) during the last 7 days. Work absenteeism accounted for 4 h 28 min (95% CI 3:25-5:31) and reduced productivity at the workplace (presenteeism) for 2 h 49 min (95% CI 2:31-3:07). During a relapse, 12 h 9 min were lost ( value < 0.0001). Productivity reduction correlated with HRQoL ( = 0.3964). In total, 143 €per patient per week (95% CI 119-167) were lost (7,411 €per year). On average, patients lost 4 h (95% CI 3:44-4:16) of unpaid daily activities; 3 h 17 min the employed subgroup and 5 h 19 min the not employed.

Conclusion: IBD leads to a substantial burden of disease, which is associated with indirect costs for society related to work ability reduction. HRQoL significantly influences loss of work productivity. Improving HRQoL should be a key factor to reduce disease burden and societal costs.