Therapeutical Apheresis: Cost Analysis

Abstract

The constant technological advancement implies the definition of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies that are in contrast with present requirements to reduce health costs. As far as apheretic therapy is concerned cost analysis should be carried out on a variable series: prevention, method efficacy, selection of one method rather than another, patient's social and working recovery, disablement, reduction in hospitalization and drugs. So, if on one hand we find ourselves facing therapeutical technology the cost of which is well defined, on the other an accurate “therapeutic prescription” is lacking in this sector, such as: choice of method, number of treatments, percentage of plasma exchange, distance between each treatment and number of cycles. The techniques on the market are: plasma-exchange by means of centrifugation or plasmaftitration, the double cascade selective method, various selective techniques of immunoabsorption and finally photopheresis. Each of these methods has different applications, potentialities and costs. The selective methods of immunoabsorption are the most expensive, while the double filtration cascade is the most economical and versatile, since it can be used in many pathologies with very encouraging results, although all its active processes are not yet well defined.