The cost of hemodialysis in Iran.

The use of dialysis in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) remains one of the most resource-intensive and hence, expensive therapeutic interventions. The purpose of this study was to assess the cost of hemodialysis (HD) in Iran. This study was conducted in the Department of Nephrology at the Imam Khomeini Hospital of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran, between April 2006 and June 2007. Patients with ESRD on chronic HD were involved in the study. Relevant data were collected using interview and questionnaire. Analyzed costs included: transportation plus absence from work, treatment instruments, drugs and other medical procedures, diet, staff salary, equipment and building support services, non-medical supplies, depreciation of installations and equipments, depreciation of reverse osmosis (RO) and building rent. Sixty-three patients of whom 47.7% were males and 52.3% were females, with mean age of 47 +/- 12 years were studied. The estimated cost of each HD session was about 74 US dollars by which an annual cost of $11549 could be estimated for each patient. Transportation and work leaves (28.9%), staff costs and salaries (21.5%), and treatment instruments (21.1%) were among the greatest expenses. We conclude that the annual cost of dialysis in Iran is similar to other developing countries, but significantly less than the cost in developed countries.