Cost of Illness (also known as Illness Cost, Illness Costs): The personal cost of disease which may be economic, social, or psychological. The cost of illness may be reflected in absenteeism, productivity, response to treatment, peace of mind, or QUALITY OF LIFE. It differs from HEALTH CARE COSTS, the societal cost of

NIH MeSH · D017281Health Care

Cost of Illness

Also known asIllness Cost · Illness Costs · Burden Of Disease · Burden Of Diseases · Cost of Sickness · Sickness Costs · Sickness Cost · Burden of Illness · Illness Burden · Illness Burdens · Cost of Disease · Costs of Disease

Definition

The personal cost of disease which may be economic, social, or psychological. The cost of illness may be reflected in absenteeism, productivity, response to treatment, peace of mind, or QUALITY OF LIFE. It differs from HEALTH CARE COSTS, the societal cost of providing services related to the delivery of health care.

MeSH classification

  • N03.219.151.165
  • N05.715.360.300.800.438.375.182
  • N06.850.520.308.980.438.475.046

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Related concepts

Capital Expenditures

Those funds disbursed for facilities and equipment, particularly those related to the delivery of health care.

Cost Allocation

The assignment, to each of several particular cost-centers, of an equitable proportion of the costs of activities that serve all of them. Co…

Cost-Benefit Analysis

A method of comparing the cost of a program with its expected benefits in dollars (or other currency). The benefit-to-cost ratio is a measur…

Cost Control

The containment, regulation, or restraint of costs. Costs are said to be contained when the value of resources committed to an activity is n…

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

A method of comparing the cost of a program with its expected outcomes that are qualitative in nature. Cost effectiveness compares alternati…

Cost Savings

Reductions in all or any portion of the costs of providing goods or services. Savings may be incurred by the provider or the consumer.

Cost Sharing

Provisions of an insurance policy that require the insured to pay some portion of covered expenses. Several forms of sharing are in use, e.g…

Costs and Cost Analysis

Absolute, comparative, or differential costs pertaining to services, institutions, resources, etc., or the analysis and study of these costs…

Common questions about Cost of Illness

What does Cost of Illness mean in medicine?
The personal cost of disease which may be economic, social, or psychological. The cost of illness may be reflected in absenteeism, productivity, response to treatment, peace of mind, or QUALITY OF LIFE. It differs from HEALTH CARE COSTS, the societal cost of providing services related to the delivery of health care. This definition is taken from the National Library of Medicine's MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) 2026 release, which is the standard vocabulary used to index PubMed and most medical literature.
Is Cost of Illness known by any other names?
Yes. Cost of Illness is also referred to as Illness Cost, Illness Costs, Burden Of Disease, Burden Of Diseases in different clinical, research and patient-facing contexts. The MeSH descriptor groups all of these synonyms under a single canonical concept so research and records stay consistent.
Where does Cost of Illness sit in the medical classification?
Cost of Illness falls under the broader medical category "Health Care" in the MeSH hierarchy (tree numbers: N03.219.151.165, N05.715.360.300.800.438.375.182, N06.850.520.308.980.438.475.046). Browsing the related concepts on this page takes you to neighbouring topics in the same branch of medicine.
Where can I get a plain-language explanation of Cost of Illness?
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Source: NIH MeSH 2026 (D017281) — National Library of Medicine, public domain. View official MeSH record ↗