Costs include all the factors leading to the diminished well-being of a patient due to illness or premature death. Disutility costs of illness typically measure the amount of money (or another measure of well-being) the average patient would be willing to give up to avoid an illness or premature death (such as lower wages received for low-risk jobs). Disutility may include a wide range of costs, including those for pain and suffering, inconvenience, time lost from regular activities, and productivity losses.
