Epidemiology and cost of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia among patients treated in primary care centres in the valencian community of Spain

Table 2 Total cost* for patients included in the study with diagnosis of herpes zoster

* In 2007 euros.
^□ Other professionals: physiotherapist, nurses and alternative medical practitioners.
† Carers: those persons or relatives who took care of herpes zoster patients.
** TPP Perspective (Third-Party Payer = Spanish Social Security): public medical visits + diagnostic test + percentage that Spanish National Health System pays for prescriptions.
‡ Societal perspective: TPP perspective items + percentage that patient pay for prescription + private medical visits + medication not included in the Spanish National System + cost for lost hours of work.
ϕ Direct costs: medical care and medications, and included: 1) the number of medical visits: primary care visits, primary care emergency consultations, specialist visits, other professional visits, hospitalizations, hospital emergencies; 2) medications prescribed and/or consumed and 3) diagnostic tests.
# Indirect costs: productivity losses of patients and/or their carers, calculated from the number of hours of work missed due to herpes zoster.

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