SETTING: Vellore District, Tamil Nadu, India. OBJECTIVE: To measure patient costs associated with diagnosis and the complete treatment of tuberculosis (TB). DESIGN: Prospective structured interview of 100 new smear-positive adult patients being treated for TB in Tamil Nadu, India, selected evenly from 10 representative health facilities in the state. Direct (out-of-pocket) and indirect (lost-time) costs were quantified by period of illness using a standardised questionnaire, and univariate regression investigated predictors of total cost. RESULTS: Seventy-four per cent of patients were male, with a mean age of 40.2 years. All were given a first-line regimen, and none had been previously treated. The mean direct cost was US$34.91 (SD $46.94), the mean indirect cost was $526.87 (SD $375.71), and the total mean cost per patient was $562.66 (SD $287.48). Twenty-five patients were admitted to hospital, at a mean cost of $279.43 (SD $142.88) per admission. Variation in costs was associated with admission. CONCLUSION: TB patients in India incur large costs associated with TB illness. The greatest single cost was time lost during admission. Total patient costs represent 193% of the estimated monthly income of a manual labourer.
SETTING: Vellore District, Tamil Nadu, India. OBJECTIVE: To measure patient costs associated with diagnosis and the complete treatment of tuberculosis (TB). DESIGN: Prospective structured interview of 100 new smear-positive adult patients being treated for TB in Tamil Nadu, India, selected evenly from 10 representative health facilities in the state. Direct (out-of-pocket) and indirect (lost-time) costs were quantified by period of illness using a standardised questionnaire, and univariate regression investigated predictors of total cost. RESULTS: Seventy-four per cent of patients were male, with a mean age of 40.2 years. All were given a first-line regimen, and none had been previously treated. The mean direct cost was US$34.91 (SD $46.94), the mean indirect cost was $526.87 (SD $375.71), and the total mean cost per patient was $562.66 (SD $287.48). Twenty-five patients were admitted to hospital, at a mean cost of $279.43 (SD $142.88) per admission. Variation in costs was associated with admission. CONCLUSION: TB patients in India incur large costs associated with TB illness. The greatest single cost was time lost during admission. Total patient costs represent 193% of the estimated monthly income of a manual labourer.
Authors: Rebecca L Walcott; Justin B Ingels; Phaedra S Corso; Sarah Zalwango; Christopher C Whalen; Juliet N Sekandi Journal: Glob Public Health Date: 2020-02-06
Authors: P Sinha; M Carwile; A Bhargava; C Cintron; C Acuna-Villaorduna; S Lakshminarayan; A F Liu; N Kulatilaka; L Locks; N S Hochberg Journal: Public Health Action Date: 2020-09-21
Authors: Mai T Pho; Soumya Swaminathan; Nagalingeswaran Kumarasamy; Elena Losina; C Ponnuraja; Lauren M Uhler; Callie A Scott; Kenneth H Mayer; Kenneth A Freedberg; Rochelle P Walensky Journal: PLoS One Date: 2012-04-30 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Vijayashree Yellappa; Pierre Lefèvre; Tullia Battaglioli; Devadasan Narayanan; Patrick Van der Stuyft Journal: BMC Health Serv Res Date: 2016-07-19 Impact factor: 2.655