Pantelis Stergiannis1, Eydokia Rapti1, Georgios Boulmetis1, Charalampos Platis2, Christina Stergianni3, George Intas4. 1. General Oncology Hospital "Oi Agioi Anargyroi", Kifisia, Greece. 2. National School of Public Administration and Local Government, Athens, Greece. 3. School of Nursing, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. 4. General Hospital of Nikaia "Agios Panteleimon.", Nikaia, Greece. intasgeo@yahoo.gr.
Abstract
AIM: The aim of this study was the evaluation of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of HIV-infected patients and the effect of their illness in their living costs. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This is a cross-sectional study and the study sample, which was a sample of convenience, included 98 HIV-infected patients from March to May 2019 at the General Oncology hospital "Oi Agioi Anargyroi" in Greece. The main tools of the survey were the Greek version of the MOS-HIV and a questionnaire used for measuring rehabilitation costs in trauma patients adjusted for the needs of the this study. RESULTS: A total of 98 patients were inducted in our study aged 49.3 ± 11.3 years, most of them males (68.3%). HRQoL was assessed in 11 individual dimensions. The highest score was found in the dimensions of role functioning (73.47 ± 36.93), physical functioning (72.53 ± 26.65), and social functioning (71.63 ± 32.3). Regarding the patients' living costs over the last month due to their illness, the highest burden comes from other expenses (152.4 ± 179.5), services provided by a psychologist (142.8 ± 170.6) and medical visits (142.8 ± 170.6). CONCLUSIONS: As the HIV infection is characterized as a chronic disease, the economic cost due to the illness needs to be studied as it affects the extent to which an HIV-infected patient can access medical care and meet emerging needs. Therefore, future research should focus in the economic dimension of the illness in relation with the quality of life of these patients and their relatives, so that new health policies may arise.
AIM: The aim of this study was the evaluation of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of HIV-infected patients and the effect of their illness in their living costs. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This is a cross-sectional study and the study sample, which was a sample of convenience, included 98 HIV-infected patients from March to May 2019 at the General Oncology hospital "Oi Agioi Anargyroi" in Greece. The main tools of the survey were the Greek version of the MOS-HIV and a questionnaire used for measuring rehabilitation costs in trauma patients adjusted for the needs of the this study. RESULTS: A total of 98 patients were inducted in our study aged 49.3 ± 11.3 years, most of them males (68.3%). HRQoL was assessed in 11 individual dimensions. The highest score was found in the dimensions of role functioning (73.47 ± 36.93), physical functioning (72.53 ± 26.65), and social functioning (71.63 ± 32.3). Regarding the patients' living costs over the last month due to their illness, the highest burden comes from other expenses (152.4 ± 179.5), services provided by a psychologist (142.8 ± 170.6) and medical visits (142.8 ± 170.6). CONCLUSIONS: As the HIV infection is characterized as a chronic disease, the economic cost due to the illness needs to be studied as it affects the extent to which an HIV-infected patient can access medical care and meet emerging needs. Therefore, future research should focus in the economic dimension of the illness in relation with the quality of life of these patients and their relatives, so that new health policies may arise.
Authors: Panagiota G Stasinopoulou; Chara Tzavara; Christine Dimitrakaki; Ourania Georgiou; Ioannis G Baraboutis; Athanasios Skoutelis; Vassilios Papastamipoulos; Yannis Tountas Journal: Qual Life Res Date: 2010-03 Impact factor: 4.147