Humanistic health management programs in anthropocene – a vector-borne disease case

Management of employee health is extremely important in the context of anthropogenic climate change. We examined the costs and benefits of implementing employee health management programs in the case of the vector-borne disease Lyme disease and its comorbidities (encephalitis, myelitis, and encephalomyelitis), taking sensitivity analysis into account. We have also examined the economic burden of these diseases and their comorbidities. Materials and methods: In order to estimate the costs and benefits of implementing employee health management programs in the case of vector-borne diseases as well as the economic burden of these diseases, the following data were used: data from the National Health Fund (NFZ) with related etiological fraction calculus and sensitivity analysis; and datasets from the Social Insurance Institution and the Central Statistical Office, using the human capital method (which includes, among others, the number of sick days). Results and conclusions: The total cost of Lyme disease and its complications, taking into account sensitivity analysis, amounts to EUR 16.2-16.3 million. The implementation of employee health management solutions would reduce the costs of Lyme disease’s complications by at least EUR 2.5 million and decrease employer losses. The results of this study show that treatment costs for patients with complications are higher than those for patients with well-controlled diseases (without complications). Moreover, the conducted analysis indicates that the implementation of employee health management solutions similar to solutions implemented by the Polish National Forest Holding is associated with a reduction in the incidence and costs of serious complications.