The Economic Burden of Vertigo and Dizziness in the United States (2021, Ruthberg et al)
This study looked at the financial impact of vertigo and dizziness in the United States. The researchers reviewed national healthcare survey data from 2007 to 2015. The study included 221,273 adults, including 5,275 people who reported vertigo or dizziness. The study found that people with vertigo or dizziness had higher healthcare costs and used more healthcare services than people without these symptoms. After adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and medical factors, the average additional yearly healthcare cost linked directly to vertigo or dizziness was about $2,659 per person. The researchers estimated that total yearly medical spending for people with vertigo or dizziness was $48.1 billion in the United States. About $13.2 billion of that cost was directly attributed to vertigo and dizziness. The study also found that people with dizziness or vertigo were more likely to be female, older, publicly insured, and have other medical conditions. For Dizzy Care Network, this research reinforces that dizziness is not only a clinical problem. It is also a major healthcare access, cost, and care-navigation problem.
Permanent Link: https://doi.org/10.3233/VES-201531
Why is this research important for dizziness care?
This research is important because it highlights how dizziness and vertigo can be expensive for both care-seekers and the healthcare system. People with dizziness often need multiple visits, tests, medications, and referrals before they get a clear care plan. This can increase cost, stress, and time away from work or daily life.
The study also highlights the importance of better care navigation. When care-seekers do not know where to go first, they may end up in settings that are not the best fit for their symptoms. Some people do need urgent care, but many dizziness problems can be evaluated more efficiently in outpatient settings when red flags are not present.
For Dizzy Care Network, this aligns with the goal of helping care-seekers connect with a more relevant clinician sooner. A structured questionnaire and matching process may help reduce confusion, avoid unnecessary care steps, and support more efficient evaluation and treatment, all of which will reduce healthcare costs.
Key takeaways for Care Seekers
- Dizziness and vertigo can lead to many healthcare visits and high costs.
- Some dizziness symptoms need emergency care.
- Getting to the right type of clinician sooner may help reduce delays and repeated visits.
- Dizziness can affect work, daily life, independence, quality of life, and your financial situation.
- A questionnaire cannot diagnose you, but it can help organize your symptoms and guide you toward more relevant care.
Key takeaways for Clinicians
- Mean annual healthcare expenditures were nearly twice as high for people with vertigo or dizziness compared with those without these conditions.
- After adjustment, vertigo and dizziness were especially associated with increased emergency department expenditures and prescription medication expenditures.
- Higher costs were associated with older age and greater medical comorbidity.
- The authors note that the true burden may be underestimated because indirect costs, such as lost work, reduced productivity, disability, and caregiver burden, were not included.
- The findings support the need for more efficient diagnostic pathways, better care coordination, appropriate referral, and cost-effective delivery of vestibular care.