Economic Burden of Beta-thalassemia/Hb E and Beta-thalassemia Major in Thai Children

Overview

Journal BMC Res Notes

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties Biology
General Medicine

Date 2010 Feb 26

PMID 20181056

Citations 28

Authors

Arthorn Riewpaiboon

Issarang Nuchprayoon

Kitti Torcharus

Kaemthong Indaratna

Montarat Thavorncharoensap

Bang-On Ubol

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Hemoglobin E beta-thalassemia (beta-thalassemia/Hb E) has a variable severity, and the cost of treatment has not been well studied. The aim of this study was to analyze the societal cost of caring for children with beta-thalassemias in Thailand. The study was designed as a prevalence-based cost-of-illness analysis in a societal perspective. Medical records from three public hospitals of children aged 2-18 years with beta-thalassemia/Hb E and homozygous beta-thalassemia were reviewed for direct medical cost determination. For direct non-medical cost and indirect cost, a family member was interviewed.

Findings: It was found that 201 patients with beta-thalassemia/Hb E (91%) and homozygous beta-thalassemia (9%) were recruited for this study. Ninety-two (46%) were severe thalassemia and 109 (54%) were mild to moderate severity. The annual average cost of treatment was US$950; 59% was direct medical cost, 17% direct non-medical cost, and 24% indirect cost. The costs were differentiated by some potential predictors. Significant predictor variables were: hospital, health insurance scheme, blood transfusion pattern, and iron chelation drug use.

Conclusions: The average annual cost per patient was calculated, and the cost model was estimated. These would be applied for national planning, economic evaluation of treatment and prevention interventions, and budget impact analysis.

Citing Articles

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Genetic Testing as a Prenatal Diagnostic Tool for Thalassemia: A Single-Center Study From Central Thailand.

Malasai K, Jittikoon J, Udomsinprasert W, Talungchit P, Youngkong S, Sangroongruangsri S Clinicoecon Outcomes Res. 2025; 17:33-43.

PMID: 39931251 PMC: 11808050. DOI: 10.2147/CEOR.S500802.

Systematic literature review of the indirect costs and humanistic burden of β-thalassemia.

Aydinok Y, Purushotham S, Yucel A, Glassberg M, Deshpande S, Potrata B Ther Adv Hematol. 2024; 15:20406207241270872.

PMID: 39297078 PMC: 11409307. DOI: 10.1177/20406207241270872.

Global Globin Network and adopting genomic variant database requirements for thalassemia.

Halim-Fikri H, Zulkipli N, Alauddin H, Bento C, Lederer C, Kountouris P Database (Oxford). 2024; 2024.

PMID: 39231257 PMC: 11373567. DOI: 10.1093/database/baae080.

Economic burden of Thalassemia treatment: An analysis from the Vietnam Social Security perspective.

Nhac-Vu H, Tran V, Nguyen T, Pham V, Le T PLoS One. 2023; 18(11):e0293916.

PMID: 38011135 PMC: 10681197. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293916.

Calcium channel blockers for preventing cardiomyopathy due to iron overload in people with transfusion-dependent beta thalassaemia.

Padhani Z, Gangwani M, Sadaf A, Hasan B, Colan S, Alvi N Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023; 11:CD011626.

PMID: 37975597 PMC: 10655499. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD011626.pub3.

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