Analysis of the economic burden of diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis patients in rural China

作者：Pan, H Q; Bele, S; Feng, Y; Qiu, S S; Lu, J Q; Tang, S W; Shen, H B; Wang, J M^*; Zhu, L M

来源：International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, 2013, 17(12): 1575-1580.

DOI：10.5588/ijtld.13.0144

• pulmonary tuberculosis
• economic burden
• risk factors

SETTING: A county in Jiangsu Province, China.
OBJECTIVES: To estimate the costs of the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) from the patient's perspective and to identify determinants of the patient's financial burden.
DESIGN: In a cross-sectional survey, we interviewed 316 patients diagnosed from January 2010 to May 2011 who had already completed their anti-tuberculosis treatment. The financial burden on TB patients included out-of-pocket costs and productivity losses.
RESULTS: The average per capita total out-of-pocket cost was 3024.0 Chinese yuan (CNY), with a median cost of 1086 CNY (interquartile range [IQR] 480-2456). Mean out-of-pocket medical and non-medical costs were respectively 2565.7 CNY and 458.3 CNY. Productivity lost by patients and family members was 2615.2 CNY (median 500, IQR 250-2025). Factors associated with out-of-pocket costs and productivity losses included hospitalisation, adverse drug reactions, cost of drugs to 'protect' the liver, cost of second-line anti-tuberculosis drugs and diagnostic delay.
CONCLUSION: Although the government of China has implemented a 'free TB service policy', the economic burden on patients is still heavy. More patient-centred interventions are essential to reduce the financial burden on patients.

• 出版日期2013-12
• 单位南京医科大学; 中国疾病预防控制中心