Epidemiology and costs of gastroesophageal reflux disease in Switzerland: a population-based study.

Objectives: Assessment of the prevalence, health care resource use and cost of gastroesophageal reflux disease in Switzerland.
Methods: A population-based telephone survey was conducted in German and French speaking Switzerland. Reflux cases were defined using a questionnaire proposed by the German Gastro League and answered additional questions on their personal characteristics and resource use.
Results: 1,274 out of 7,222 participants were positively screened. The prevalence of reflux disease in Swiss adults was estimated at 17.6% (95% CI: 15.6%-19.7%) or 993,000 individuals. Regular treatment with medication was reported by 38.0% of the reflux positive sample. Reflux-induced general practitioner consultations during the last year were reported by 25.9%. On average, there were 0.84 general practitioner consultations, 0.19 specialist consultations, 0.08 gastroscopies and 0.01 hospitalisations annually. Mean direct medical costs, dominated by medication costs, were CHF 185 per patient-year (95% CI: CHF 140-230) or 0.5% of Switzerland's total health care expenditures. Total costs were CHF 234 (95% CI: CHF 185-284) per patient-year.
Conclusions: The prevalence of reflux disease in Switzerland is similar to that in other industrialised countries. Reflux disease causes considerable costs, in the medical system and at the societal level.