Australia faces a $4.3 billion economic hit from the impact of glaucoma by 2025 unless the Federal Government invests now in initiatives that work to improve patient compliance, according to Glaucoma Australia.
The nation’s peak body for glaucoma patients commissioned a new report revealing that the costs of early intervention in glaucoma “is a drop in the ocean” when compared with the significant long-term burden premature blindness places on the health system and National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
It is estimated that nearly 300,000 Australians have glaucoma – but only 50% are diagnosed. Early detection and treatment are critical because once vision has been lost to glaucoma, it cannot be restored.
According to economic consulting firm Evaluate, who conducted the analysis for Glaucoma Australia, the demand will accelerate further in the next few years with the aging population, which will see the cost to the community rise from $1.9 billion to $4.3 billion.
“It is completely unacceptable for people to be suffering preventable blindness in a country like Australia with a first-class health system,” Glaucoma Australia CEO Mr Richard Wylie said.
“Glaucoma is known as the ‘thief of sight’ as it robs a person of their vision with such stealth that patients often don’t know they have this insidious disease until it’s too late. It’s important that governments understand that saving sight is also good for the economy – it can save billions.
“The major focus has to be on early diagnosis and supporting patients to stick with their treatment regimen long-term, because there is no way to reverse the vision loss caused by glaucoma. We can slow it down, but we cannot ‘cure’ it.”
The cost of glaucoma
According to Glaucoma Australia, research reveals many Australians do not persist with their treatment in the longer term. There are many reasons for this, including lack of comprehension around the long-term nature of the disease, mental health issues, access to health services (especially in rural and remote areas), difficulty instilling eye drops and even simple forgetfulness.
The report acknowledged there were several costs for ongoing treatment, including prescribed medicines, surgical procedures, acute hospitalisation, treatment for hip fractures from falls (10x more likely for people living with glaucoma), as well as the significant costs associated with long-term disability support payments, carer costs and early entry into aged care.
However, this far outstrips the cost of investing in greater awareness, early identification of ‘at risk’ patients and making Glaucoma Australia’s Patient Support Program more widely available, the report concluded.
Glaucoma Australia’s Patient Support Program already has more than 23,000 patients on its database – increasing at a rate of about 300 a month. The program provides ongoing support via clinical educators who are available to patients five days a week.
“Being able to see is one of life’s greatest gifts, yet so many people are at risk of preventable blindness, due to a lack of awareness about the disease and the importance of treatment adherence,” Wylie said.
“Our message is simple: Schedule a regular eye examination every two years, even if you don’t need glasses. And if there is a history of glaucoma in your family – particularly your parents, siblings or children – please get tested immediately. We’re also asking the government to help us support more Australians throughout their life-long journey with glaucoma.”
A recent survey showed 85% of patients who take part in Glaucoma Australia’s Patient Support Program adhere to their prescribed treatments, and 91% attend their recommended appointments – both important indicators for management success.
In addition, the number of patients who frequently felt anxious about their glaucoma fell from 44% to 20% after receiving education and support through the program.
“Glaucoma Australia has been able to achieve all of this without any support from state or federal governments. But with demand growing rapidly at the rate of up to 300 new patients a month seeking our help, we now need to ask for support from Canberra,” Wylie said.
“We urge the Federal Government to make this commitment so that no one needs to become another victim of the ‘silent thief of sight”. There is such an exciting opportunity to make a big difference if we identify people early, and if we support them properly, we can get superior health outcomes, and save the health budgets billions.”
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