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. 2025 Jul 16;11(4):e152.
doi: 10.1192/bjo.2025.10766.

Service use, healthcare costs and productivity losses of functional cognitive disorder in a sample of attenders to out-patient cognitive, neurology and memory clinics

Barbara Barrett  1 , Joan Agwuna  1 , Sarah Cope  2   3 , Mark J Edwards  1   3 , Norman Poole  1   2   3
Affiliations

Service use, healthcare costs and productivity losses of functional cognitive disorder in a sample of attenders to out-patient cognitive, neurology and memory clinics

Barbara Barrett et al. BJPsych Open. .

Abstract

Background: People with functional disorders often receive high levels of healthcare resource use yet have poor outcomes. The health service costs and productivity losses of functional cognitive disorders (FCD) is unknown.

Aims: This study aims to report the cost to health services and productivity losses of FCD.

Method: Examination of healthcare service use and productivity losses in a sample of individuals with FCD who had attended a specialist out-patient clinic in south London.

Results: The findings revealed high rates of healthcare use, including frequent contact with general practitioners, psychologists and hospital services, as well as work absences. The total estimated cost of healthcare and productivity losses per individual over 6 months was £1114.

Conclusions: These results highlight the need for effective and efficient diagnostic pathways, targeted and effective interventions, and improved support for individuals with FCD.

Keywords: Functional cognitive disorder; costs; health economics.

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Conflict of interest statement

N.P. and B.B. report grant support from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) during the conduct of this study. N.P. and M.J.E. provide expert medico-legal testimony for people with neurological and psychiatric conditions, including FCD.

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