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ArticleEuropean archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery2026

Cost burden for healthcare and patients related to the unawareness towards laryngopharyngeal reflux.

Jerome R Lechien, Pol Leclercq, Jonathan Brauner, Magali Pirson

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Article in European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Global burden of Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease: a systematic review of epidemiology, cost-burden and awareness.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2026
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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Jerome R LechienDivision of Laryngology and Bronchoesophagology, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, UMONS Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons (UMons), Mons, Belgium. Jerome.Lechien@umons.ac.be.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0845-0845
Pol LeclercqHealth Economics, Hospital Management and Nursing Research Dept, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium.
Jonathan BraunerHealth Economics, Hospital Management and Nursing Research Dept, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium.
Magali PirsonHealth Economics, Hospital Management and Nursing Research Dept, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo investigate the impact of physician unawareness towards laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) on healthcare costs.

methodsPatients with a confirmed LPR diagnosis were consecutively recruited from Belgian Hospitals. Demographics and clinical outcomes (impedance-pH testing features, reflux symptom score, and reflux sign assessment) were extracted. The past consultations and additional examinations dedicated to the investigation of laryngopharyngeal symptoms and findings without suspicion of LPR were collected. The estimated costs of consultations and procedures were those indicated in the National Health Insurance Institute's Charges for 2022. Part was reimbursed by the social security system, and the rest was paid by patients.

resultsSeventy-six patients were recruited. Seventeen patients (22.4%) had no previous consultation or additional examination for their LPR-symptoms. The estimated mean (standard deviation) costs related to the unawareness of LPR for the healthcare system and patient, were 310.06 ± 370.49 €, and 54.05 ± 46.28 €, respectively. The highest estimated costs were related to gastroenterology consultations and procedures, which did not lead to a confirmation of LPR diagnosis. The total estimated cost for the Belgian healthcare system and patients (11,590,000 million), could range from 359 359 540 € to 1 078 078 620 €; and 62 643 950 € to 187 931 850 €, respectively. The estimated costs related to gastroenterology practice of patients with severe disease were significantly higher than patients with mild disease.

conclusionThe unawareness of practitioners toward LPR leads to significant costs for healthcare system and patients. The teaching and awareness towards LPR need to be improved in medical schools and clinical practice.

Indexed as

Cost of IllnessHealth Care CostsHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeLaryngopharyngeal RefluxAdultAgedBelgiumFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedAwarenessBurdenCostGastroesophageal reflux diseaseHealthcareLaryngopharyngealRefluxUnawareness

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.