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Welcome to NVA's Cost of Illness Survey!What is a Cost of Illness survey and why is it important? To date, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation’s medical research agency, have only funded ten studies on vulvodynia! Why so few? The NIH is responsible for funding research on thousands of medical conditions and they all compete for the same research dollars. In order to increase the number of vulvodynia studies that go forward, data on the condition’s prevalence and cost of illness (COI) is essential. The US Congress, responsible for appropriating money to the NIH to fund certain health conditions, uses prevalence and COI data to establish priorities for resource allocation and research activities. Vulvodynia’s prevalence has already been studied, but the economic impact of the condition has not. A COI study asks questions about lost work hours and out-of-pocket expenses related to having vulvodynia. From a cost of illness survey, analysts can calculate to what extent a particular health condition impacts our economy. It is important for NVA to have this information to convince members of Congress and NIH staff of the great need to increase funding of vulvodynia research.Research is the key to discovering the cause(s) of the condition and better treatment options! What is required with participation? You must be diagnosed with generalized vulvodynia or vulvar vestibulitis syndrome (vestibulodynia) and live in the United States to participate in this study. Participating in this study will take approximately 3 hours of your time over the next 6 months. With the use of a NVA-supplied calendar, participants will be required to keep track of their vulvodynia-related expenses, such as prescription medications, doctor visits and over-the-counter remedies for four weeks at a time. Participants will anonymously log onto this web site once every four weeks for six months to record their expenses. Each time, the survey will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. For additional information, contact: Crystal Dade at 301-949-5114 or crystal@nva.org To get started, click on "First-time participants" above. The National Vulvodynia Association is a nonprofit organization that strives to improve women's lives through education, support, advocacy and research funding. The NVA is not a medical authority and strongly recommends that you consult your own health care provider regarding any course of treatment or medication. Last Updated on February 2, 2012 |
