Assessing access barriers to tuberculosis care with the tool to Estimate Patients' Costs: pilot results from two districts in Kenya

[Telephone surveys for the study of catastrophic costs due to tuberculosis in Colombia: a novel toolPesquisas telefônicas para um estudo de custos catastróficos da tuberculose na Colômbia: uma ferramenta inovadora]

The study of catastrophic costs incurred by people affected by tuberculosis (TB), conducted in Colombia during the COVID-19 pandemic, provided the opportunity to implement telephone surveys for data collection. This constitutes a methodological innovation regarding the standards established by the World Health Organization (WHO) which, for this type of study, usually rely on face-to-face surveys of patients attending health facilities. The study design, objectives, and methodology were adapted from the WHO publication Tuberculosis patient cost surveys: a handbook. A total of 1065 people affected by tuberculosis were selected as study participants and, by telephone, were administered a standard questionnaire adapted to the Colombian context. This allowed the collection of structured data on the direct and indirect costs faced by TB patients and their families. Greater than 80% completeness was achieved for all variables of interest, with an average survey duration of 40 minutes and a rejection rate of 8%. The described survey method to determine the baseline for further study of catastrophic costs in Colombia was novel because of its telephone-based format, which adheres to the information standards required to allow internationally comparable estimates. It is a useful means of generating standardized results in contexts in which the ability to conduct face-to-face surveys is limited.

Does Participating in New Rural Cooperative Medical Insurance Change Catastrophic Health Expenditure? Evidence from the China Household Income Project

A primary goal of the New Rural Cooperative Medical Insurance (NRCMI) is to provide financial protection against health care costs and alleviate the financial burdens of rural residents in China. This article examines whether NRCMI participation impacted the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) among middle-aged and older adults (45 years old and above). The analysis utilized data from the 2007 China Household Income Project survey in rural areas and an instrumental variable estimation method in Anhui and Sichuan provinces, which exhibited heterogeneity in the NRCMI implementation schedule. The results show that NRCMI participation was not associated with changes in the CHE incidence among families. The finding is consistent with the prior literature using quasi-experimental study designs. This study provides empirical evidence for policymakers, highlighting that the impact of NRCMI participation on financial protections is limited despite its extensive population coverage. The limited effects are probably due to the low reimbursement rate and increased utilization of expensive health care services.

Cost-consequence analysis of ambulatory clinic- and home-based multidrug-resistant tuberculosis management models in Eswatini

BACKGROUND

We compared the cost-consequence of a home-based multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) model of care, based on task-shifting of directly observed therapy (DOT) and MDR-TB injection administration to lay health workers, to a routine clinic-based strategy within an established national TB programme in Eswatini.

METHODS

Data on costs and effects of the two ambulatory models of MDR-TB care was collected using documentary data and interviews in the Lubombo and Shiselweni regions of Eswatini. Health system, patient and caregiver costs were assessed in 2014 in US$ using standard methods. Cost-consequence was calculated as the cost per patient successfully treated.

RESULTS

In the clinic-based and home-based models of care, respectively, a total of 96 and 106 MDR-TB patients were enrolled in 2014, with treatment success rates of 67.8% and 82.1%. Health system costs per patient treated were slightly lower in the home-based strategy (US$19 598) compared to the clinic-based model (US$20 007). The largest costs in both models were for inpatient care, administration of DOT and injectable treatment, and drugs. Costs incurred by patients and caregivers were considerably higher in the clinic-based model of care due to the higher direct travel costs to the nearest clinic to receive DOT and injections daily. In total, MDR patients in the clinic-based strategy incurred average costs of US$670 compared to US$275 for MDR-TB patients in the home-based model. MDR-TB patients in the home-based programme, where DOT and injections was provided in their homes, only incurred out-of-pocket travel expenses for monthly outpatient treatment monitoring visits averaging US$100. The cost per successfully treated patient was US$31 106 and US$24 157 in the clinic-based and home-based models of care, respectively. The analysis showed that, in addition to the health benefits, direct and indirect costs for patients and their caregivers were lower in the home-based care model.

CONCLUSION

The home-based strategy used less resources and generated substantial health and economic benefits, particularly for patients and their caregivers, and decision makers can consider this approach as an alternative to expand and optimise MDR-TB control in resource-limited settings. Further research to understand the appropriate mix of treatment support components that are most important for optimal clinical and public health outcomes in the ambulatory home-based model of MDR-TB care is necessary.

The Socioeconomic consequences of femoral shaft fracture for patients in Malawi

Background

Femoral shaft fractures are common in Malawi, with an annual incidence of 44 per 100,000 people. Inadequate treatment and delayed presentation often result in functional, biopsychosocial, and financial challenges for patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the socioeconomic consequences of femoral shaft fractures for patients in Malawi.

Methods

This study of 42 patients was part of a larger study that prospectively examined quality of life. Questionnaires were distributed to patients at 1-year follow-up following femoral shaft fracture treatment. Patients reported pre- and post-injury standard of living and financial well-being.

Results

Patients reported relatively high transportation costs to and from the hospital. One year after injury, 17 patients (40%) had not returned to work. Of the 25 (60%) who had returned, 5 (20%) changed jobs due to their injury, all reported decreased productivity. Household income decreased for 29% of patients. 20 (49%) of 41 patients reported food insecurity in the week prior to questionnaire completion. Many patients reported changing their residence, borrowing money, selling personal property, and unenrolling children from school due to financial hardship caused by their injury.

Conclusion

While the Malawian public healthcare system is free at the point of care, it lacks the financial risk protection that is essential to universal health coverage (UHC). In this study, we found that the indirect costs of care due to femoral shaft fractures had substantial socioeconomic consequences on the majority of patients and their families. Increased investment of financial and human capital should be made into capacity building and preventative measures to decrease the burden of injury, increase access to care, improve care delivery, and provide financial risk protection for patients with traumatic injuries in Malawi.

Comparing cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches to tuberculosis patient cost surveys using Nepalese data

The World Health Organization has supported the development of national tuberculosis (TB) patient cost surveys to quantify the socio-economic impact of TB in high-burden countries. However, methodological differences in the study design (e.g. cross-sectional vs longitudinal) can generate different estimates making the design and impact evaluation of socio-economic protection strategies difficult. The objective of the study was to compare the socio-economic impacts of TB estimated by applying cross-sectional or longitudinal data collections in Nepal. We analysed the data from a longitudinal costing survey (patients interviewed at three time points) conducted between April 2018 and October 2019. We calculated both mean and median costs from patients interviewed during the intensive (cross-sectional 1) and continuation (cross-sectional 2) phases of treatment. We then compared costs, the prevalence of catastrophic costs and the socio-economic impact of TB generated by each approach. There were significant differences in the costs and social impacts calculated by each approach. The median total cost (intensive plus continuation phases) was significantly higher for the longitudinal compared with cross-sectional 2 (US$119.42 vs 91.63, P < 0.001). The prevalence of food insecurity, social exclusion and patients feeling poorer or much poorer were all significantly higher by applying a longitudinal approach. In conclusion, the longitudinal design captured important aspects of costs and socio-economic impacts, which were missed by applying a cross-sectional approach. If a cross-sectional approach is applied due to resource constraints, our data suggest that the start of the continuation phase is the optimal timing for a single interview. Further research to optimize methodologies to report patient-incurred expenditure during TB diagnosis and treatment is needed.

Economic evaluation of a community health worker model for tuberculosis care in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam: a mixed-methods Social Return on Investment Analysis

BACKGROUND

There is extensive evidence for the cost-effectiveness of programmatic and additional tuberculosis (TB) interventions, but no studies have employed the social return on investment (SROI) methodology. We conducted a SROI analysis to measure the benefits of a community health worker (CHW) model for active TB case finding and patient-centered care.

METHODS

This mixed-method study took place alongside a TB intervention implemented in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, between October-2017 - September-2019. The valuation encompassed beneficiary, health system and societal perspectives over a 5-year time-horizon. We conducted a rapid literature review, two focus group discussions and 14 in-depth interviews to identify and validate pertinent stakeholders and material value drivers. We compiled quantitative data from the TB program's and the intervention's surveillance systems, ecological databases, scientific publications, project accounts and 11 beneficiary surveys. We mapped, quantified and monetized value drivers to derive a crude financial benefit, which was adjusted for four counterfactuals. We calculated a SROI based on the net present value (NPV) of benefits and investments using a discounted cash flow model with a discount rate of 3.5%. A scenario analysis assessed SROI at varying discount rates of 0-10%.

RESULTS

The mathematical model yielded NPVs of US$235,511 in investments and US$8,497,183 in benefits. This suggested a return of US$36.08 for each dollar invested, ranging from US$31.66-US39.00 for varying discount rate scenarios.

CONCLUSIONS

The evaluated CHW-based TB intervention generated substantial individual and societal benefits. The SROI methodology may be an alternative for the economic evaluation of healthcare interventions.

Development of an Instrument for the Assessment of Health-Related Multi-sectoral Resource Use in Europe: The PECUNIA RUM

BACKGROUND

Measuring objective resource-use quantities is important for generating valid cost estimates in economic evaluations. In the absence of acknowledged guidelines, measurement methods are often chosen based on practicality rather than methodological evidence. Furthermore, few resource-use measurement (RUM) instruments focus on the measurement of resource use in multiple societal sectors and their development process is rarely described. Thorn and colleagues proposed a stepwise approach to the development of RUM instruments, which has been used for developing cost questionnaires for specific trials. However, it remains unclear how this approach can be translated into practice and whether it is applicable to the development of generic self-reported RUM instruments and instruments measuring resource use in multiple sectors. This study provides a detailed description of the practical application of this stepwise approach to the development of a multi-sectoral RUM instrument developed within the ProgrammE in Costing, resource use measurement and outcome valuation for Use in multi-sectoral National and International health economic evaluAtions (PECUNIA) project.

METHODS

For the development of the PECUNIA RUM, the methodological approach was based on best practice guidelines. The process included six steps, including the definition of the instrument attributes, identification of cost-driving elements in each sector, review of methodological literature and development of a harmonized cross-sectorial approach, development of questionnaire modules and their subsequent harmonization.

RESULTS

The selected development approach was, overall, applicable to the development of the PECUNIA RUM. However, due to the complexity of the development of a multi-sectoral RUM instrument, additional steps such as establishing a uniform methodological basis, harmonization of questionnaire modules and involvement of a broader range of stakeholders (healthcare professionals, sector-specific experts, health economists) were needed.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study that transparently describes the development process of a generic multi-sectoral RUM instrument in health economics and provides insights into the methodological aspects and overall validity of its development process.

Safety of Rifampicin at High Dose for Difficult-to-Treat Tuberculosis: Protocol for RIAlta Phase 2b/c Trial

Previous clinical trials for drug-susceptible tuberculosis (DS-TB) have shown that first-line treatment with doses of rifampicin up to 40 mg/kg are safe and increase the early treatment response for young adults with pulmonary tuberculosis. This may lead to a shorter treatment duration for those persons with TB and a good baseline prognosis, or increased treatment success for vulnerable subgroups (age > 60, diabetes, malnutrition, HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C coinfection, TB meningitis, stable chronic liver diseases). Here, we describe the design of a phase 2b/c clinical study under the hypothesis that rifampicin at 35 mg/kg is as safe for these vulnerable groups as for the participants included in previous clinical trials. RIAlta is an interventional, open-label, multicenter, prospective clinical study with matched historical controls comparing the standard DS-TB treatment (isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol) with rifampicin at 35 mg/kg (HR35ZE group) vs. rifampicin at 10 mg/kg (historical HR10ZE group). The primary outcome is the incidence of grade ≥ 3 Adverse Events or Severe Adverse Events. A total of 134 participants will be prospectively included, and compared with historical matched controls with at least a 1:1 proportion. This will provide a power of 80% to detect non-inferiority with a margin of 8%. This study will provide important information for subgroups of patients that are more vulnerable to TB bad outcomes and/or treatment toxicity. Despite limitations such as non-randomized design and the use of historical controls, the results of this trial may inform the design of future more inclusive clinical trials, and improve the management of tuberculosis in subgroups of patients for whom scientific evidence is still scarce. Trial registration: EudraCT 2020-003146-36, NCT04768231.

Implementing tuberculosis patient cost surveys in resource-constrained settings: lessons from Tanzania

Tuberculosis (TB) disproportionally affects persons and families who are economically and socially disadvantaged. Therefore, a patient cost survey was conducted in Tanzania to evaluate the costs incurred by patients and their households before and after the diagnosis of TB. It was the first survey in Tanzania to ascertain baseline information and experience for subsequent surveys. This paper aims to share the experience encountered during the survey to ensure a standardized approach and elimination of potential barriers for the implementation of future surveys. A total of 777 TB patients from 30 clusters selected based on probability proportional to the size were interviewed during the study period. As the sample size was calculated based on notification data from the previous year, some health facilities experienced an inadequate number of TB patients during the study to meet the allocated cluster size for the survey. Most facilities had poor recording and recordkeeping in TB registers where deaths were not registered, and some patients had not been assigned district identification numbers. Fixed days for TB drug refills in health facilities affected the routine implementation of the survey as the interviews were conducted when patients visited the facility to pick up the drugs. Tablets used to collect data failed to capture the geographic location in some areas. The households of TB patients lost to follow-up and those who had died during TB treatment were not included in the survey. When planning and preparing for patient costs surveys, it is important to consider unforeseen factors which may affect planned activities and findings. During the survey in Tanzania, the identified challenges included survey logistics, communications, patient enrollment, and data management issues. To improve the quality of the findings of future surveys, it may be reasonable to revise survey procedures to include households of TB patients who were lost to follow-up and those who died during TB treatment; the households of such patients may have incurred higher direct and indirect costs than households whose patient was cured as a result of receiving TB treatment.

"I'm suffering for food": Food insecurity and access to social protection for TB patients and their households in Cape Town, South Africa

BACKGROUND

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major health concern and the number one cause of death in South Africa. Social protection programmes can strengthen the resilience of TB patients, their families and households. This study aimed to get a better understanding of the role of social protection and other forms of support in relation to the burden of TB on patients and their households in South Africa.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional exploratory qualitative study using a phenomenological approach to focus on the lived experiences and perceptions of TB patients and healthcare workers. We interviewed 16 patients and six healthcare workers and analysed data thematically.

RESULTS

The challenges faced by participants were closely related to household challenges. Participants reported a heavy physical burden, aggravated by a lack of nutritious food and that households could not provide the food they needed. Some needed to resort to charity. At the same time, households were significantly affected by the burden of caring for the patient-and remained the main source of financial, emotional and physical support. Participants reported challenges and costs associated with the application process and high levels of discretion by the assessing doctor allowing doctors' opinions and beliefs to influence their assessment.

CONCLUSION

Access to adequate nutritious food was a key issue for many patients and this need strained already stretched households and budgets. Few participants reported obtaining state social protection support during their illness, but many reported challenges and high costs of trying to access it. Further research should be conducted on support mechanisms and interventions for TB patients, but also their households, including food support, social protection and contact tracing. In deciding eligibility for grants, the situation of the household should be considered in addition to the individual patient.

Cost and affordability of scaling up tuberculosis diagnosis using Xpert MTB/RIF testing in West Java, Indonesia

In Indonesia, a significant number of tuberculosis (TB) cases may be missed, due to the low sensitivity and specificity of the currently used diagnostic algorithm. In this regard, the rapid molecular test using Xpert MTB/RIF, which has recently been introduced in Indonesia, can improve case detection. Thus, this study determined the cost and affordability of incorporating Xpert MTB/RIF testing for TB diagnosis. For this purpose, we estimated the costs (from the health system and societal perspectives) of reaching the TB detection target in Depok municipality, and applied the findings to the West Java province of Indonesia. The resources available for the health and TB program were also analyzed to support the decision to scale up the TB diagnosis using Xpert MTB/RIF testing. According to the results, the unit cost for TB diagnosis per person was USD 27.22 and USD 70.16 from the health system and societal perspectives, respectively. To reach the target of 109,843 TB cases for the 2020–2024 time period, Depok municipality would need USD 2,989,927 and USD 2,549,455 from the health system viewpoint, assuming the machine’s lifespan of five and 10 years, respectively. Extrapolating these results to the West Java province, USD 56,353,833 would be necessary to test 2,076,413 cases from 2019 to 2024. However, in order to accelerate the case detection target up to 2024, West Java requires additional funds. The implication of the findings is that the central government must consider local capacity to accelerate TB case detection and ensure that the installation of Xpert MTB/RIF machines is included in the overall costs.

Determinants of household catastrophic costs for drug sensitive tuberculosis patients in Kenya

Background

Despite free diagnosis and treatment for tuberculosis (TB), the costs during treatment impose a significant financial burden on patients and their households. The study sought to identify the determinants for catastrophic costs among patients with drug-sensitive TB (DSTB) and their households in Kenya.

Methods

The data was collected during the 2017 Kenya national patient cost survey from a nationally representative sample (n = 1071). Treatment related costs and productivity losses were estimated. Total costs exceeding 20% of household income were defined as catastrophic and used as the outcome. Multivariable Poisson regression analysis was performed to measure the association between selected individual, household and disease characteristics and occurrence of catastrophic costs. A deterministic sensitivity analysis was carried using different thresholds and the significant predictors were explored.

Results

The proportion of catastrophic costs among DSTB patients was 27% (n = 294). Patients with catastrophic costs had higher median productivity losses, 39 h [interquartile range (IQR): 20–104], and total median costs of USD 567 (IQR: 299–1144). The incidence of catastrophic costs had a dose response with household expenditure. The poorest quintile was 6.2 times [95% confidence intervals (CI): 4.0–9.7] more likely to incur catastrophic costs compared to the richest. The prevalence of catastrophic costs decreased with increasing household expenditure quintiles (proportion of catastrophic costs: 59.7%, 32.9%, 23.6%, 15.9%, and 9.5%) from the lowest quintile (Q1) to the highest quintile (Q5). Other determinants included hospitalization: prevalence ratio (PR) = 2.8 (95% CI: 1.8–4.5) and delayed treatment: PR = 1.5 (95% CI: 1.3–1.7). Protective factors included receiving care at a public health facility: PR = 0.8 (95% CI: 0.6–1.0), and a higher body mass index (BMI): PR = 0.97 (95% CI: 0.96–0.98). Pre TB expenditure, hospitalization and BMI were significant predictors in all sensitivity analysis scenarios.

Conclusions

There are significant inequities in the occurrence of catastrophic costs. Social protection interventions in addition to existing medical and public health interventions are important to implement for patients most at risk of incurring catastrophic costs.

Graphic abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40249-021-00879-4.

Tuberculosis of the Ankle in a Non-immunocompromised Male: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

The prevalence and incidence of tuberculosis has declined rapidly in Western Europe during the last century, although a slight increase is being seen due to immigration from countries where tuberculosis is still a common disease. We present a very rare case of primary ankle tuberculosis in a 51-year-old native German male without any risk factors or prior lung manifestation. A delay in diagnosis and treatment when a patient presents with ankle arthritis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis should make one aware of the possibility of primary joint tuberculosis, which is extremely unusual and it can mimic various other joint diseases. If the diagnosis is in doubt, early biopsy should be mandatory.

Factors associated with treatment initiation delay among new adult pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

Background

Delayed treatment initiation of Tuberculosis patients results in increased infectivity, poor treatment outcome, and increased mortality. However, there is a paucity of evidence on the delay in new adult pulmonary Tuberculosis patients to initiate treatment in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia.

Objective

To assess the factors associated with treatment initiation delay among new adult pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia.

Methods

The study design was cross-sectional. A total of 875 new adult pulmonary tuberculosis patients were recruited from 21 health facilities from October 2018 to October 2019. Health facilities were selected by simple random sampling technique and tuberculosis cases from the health facilities were consecutively enrolled. Data were collected using structured questionnaire within the first 2 weeks of treatment initiation. Delay was categorized as patient, health system and total delays. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 and logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with the odds of delays to initiate treatment. A p-value of less than 0.05 was reported as statistically significant.

Results

The median patient, health system and total delays were 30, 18 and 62 days, respectively. Rural residence, being poor, visiting non-formal medication sources, being primary health care and the private clinic had higher odds of patient delay whereas being HIV positive had lower odds of patient delay. Illiteracy, first visit to primary health care and private clinic had higher odds of health system delay whereas a visit to health facility one time and have no patient delay had lower odds of health system delay.

Conclusion

The median patient delay was higher than the median health system delay before initiating treatment. Hence, improved awareness of the community and involving the informal medication sources in the tuberculosis pathways would reduce patient delay. Similarly, improved cough screening and diagnostic efficiency of the lower health facilities would shorten health system delay.

Pre-diagnostic drop out of presumptive TB patients and its associated factors at Bugembe Health Centre IV in Jinja, Uganda

BACKGROUND

Drop out of presumptive TB individuals before making a final diagnosis poses a danger to the individual and their community. We aimed to determine the proportion of these presumptive TB drop outs and their associated factors in Bugembe Health Centre, Jinja, Uganda.

METHODS

We used data from the DHIS2, presumptive and laboratory registers of Bugembe Health Centre IV for 2017. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the population characteristics. A modified Poisson regression model via the generalized linear model (GLM) with log link and robust standard errors was used for bivariate and multivariate analysis.We used data from the DHIS2, presumptive and laboratory registers of Bugembe Health Centre IV for 2017. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the population characteristics. A modified Poisson regression model via the generalized linear model (GLM) with log link and robust standard errors was used for bivariate and multivariate analysis.

RESULT

Among the 216 registered presumptive TB patients who were less than 1% of patients visiting the outpatients' department, 40.7% dropped out before final diagnosis was made. Age and HIV status were significantly associated with pre-diagnostic drop out while gender and distance from the health center were not.

CONCLUSION

A high risk to individuals and the community is posed by the significant proportion of presumptive TB patients dropping out before final diagnosis. Health systems managers need to consider interventions targeting young persons, male patients, HIV positive persons.

Risk factors for catastrophic costs associated with tuberculosis in rural South Africa

<sec> <title>SETTING</title> Fifty-five public clinics in northern South Africa. </sec> <sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> To estimate patient costs and identify the factors associated with catastrophic costs among individuals treated for tuberculosis (TB). </sec> <sec> <title>DESIGN</title> We performed cross-sectional interviews of consecutive patients at public clinics from October 2017 to January 2018. 'Catastrophic costs' were defined as costs totalling ≥20% of annual household income. For participants with no reported income, we considered scenarios where costs were considered non-catastrophic if 1) costs totalled <US$7.70 (ZAR100) or 2) a multidimensional poverty index was above a certain threshold. </sec> <sec> <title>RESULTS</title> Among 327 participants, the estimated mean TB episode costs were US$365 (95%CI 233-498): out-of-pocket costs comprised 58% of costs, wages lost due to health care-seeking represented 26%, and income reduction accounted for 16% of costs. Ninety (28%) participants experienced catastrophic costs, which were associated with clinic travel times of 60-90 min (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 1.7, 95%CI 0.9-3.1), unemployment (aPR 2.0, 95%CI 1.0-4.0) and having fewer household members (aPR 0.6, 95%CI 0.3-1.0). </sec> <sec> <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> In rural South Africa, catastrophic costs from TB are common and associated with distance to clinics, unemployment, and household size. These findings can help tailor social protection programs and enhance service delivery to patients at greatest risk of experiencing financial hardship. </sec>.

There's no such thing as a free TB diagnosis: Catastrophic TB costs in Urban Uganda

Identifying and reducing TB-related costs is necessary for achieving the End TB Strategy's goal that no family is burdened with catastrophic costs. This study explores costs during the pre-diagnosis period and assesses the potential for using coping costs as a proxy indicator for catastrophic costs when comprehensive surveys are not feasible. Detailed interviews about TB-related costs and productivity losses were conducted with 196 pulmonary TB patients in Kampala, Uganda. The threshold for catastrophic costs was defined as 20% of household income. Multivariable regression analyses were used to assess the influence of patient characteristics on economic burden, and the positive predictive value (PPV) of coping costs was estimated. Over 40% of patients experienced catastrophic costs, with average (median) pre-diagnosis costs making up 30.6% (14.1%) of household income. Low-income status (AOR = 2.91, 95% CI = 1.29, 6.72), hospitalisation (AOR = 8.66, 95% CI = 2.60; 39.54), and coping costs (AOR = 3.84, 95% CI = 1.81; 8.40) were significantly associated with the experience of catastrophic costs. The PPV of coping costs as an indicator for catastrophic costs was estimated to be 73% (95% CI = 58%, 84%). TB patients endure a substantial economic burden during the pre-diagnosis period, and identifying households that experience coping costs may be a useful proxy measure for identifying catastrophic costs.

Out-of-pocket payments and economic consequences from tuberculosis care in eastern China: income inequality

BACKGROUND

Despite the availability of free tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and treatment, TB care still generates substantial costs that push people into poverty. We investigated out-of-pocket (OOP) payments for TB care and assessed the resulting economic burden and economic consequences for those with varying levels of household income in eastern China.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among TB patients in the national TB programme networks in eastern China. TB-related direct OOP costs, time loss, and coping strategies were investigated across households in different economic strata. Analysis of Variance was used to examine the differences in various costs, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare the difference in total costs as a percentage of annual household income.

RESULTS

Among 435 patients, the mean OOP total costs of TB care were USD 2389.5. In the lower-income quartile, OOP payments were lower, but costs as a percentage of reported annual household income were higher. Medical costs and costs prior to treatment accounted for 66.4 and 48.9% of the total costs, respectively. The lower the household income was, the higher the proportion of medical costs to total costs before TB treatment, but the lower the proportion of medical costs patients spent in the intensive phase. TB care caused 25.8% of TB-affected households to fall below the poverty line and caused the poverty gap (PG) to increase by United States Dollar (USD) 145.6. Patients in the poorest households had the highest poverty headcount ratio (70.2%) and PG (USD 236.1), but those in moderately poor households had the largest increase in the poverty headcount ratio (36.2%) and PG (USD 177.8) due to TB care. Patients from poor households were more likely to borrow money to cope with the costs of TB care; however, there were fewer social consequences, except for food insecurity, in poor households.

CONCLUSIONS

Medical and pretreatment costs lead to high costs of TB care, especially among patients from the poorest households. It is necessary to train health system staff in general hospitals to promptly identify and refer TB patients. Pro-poor programmes are also needed to protect TB patients from the medical poverty trap.

Coping with healthcare costs for chronic illness in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic literature review

BACKGROUND

Experiencing illness in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) can incur very high out-of-pocket (OOP) payments for healthcare and, while the existing literature typically focuses on levels of expenditure, it rarely examines what happens when households do not have the necessary money. Some will adopt one or more 'coping strategies', such as borrowing money, perhaps at exorbitant interest rates, or selling assets, some necessary for their future income, with detrimental long-term effects. This is particularly relevant for chronic illnesses that require consistent, long-term OOP payments. We systematically review the literature on strategies for financing OOP costs of chronic illnesses in LMICs, their correlates and their impacts on households.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, EconLit, EMBASE, Global Health and Scopus on 22 October 2018 for literature published on or after 1 January 2000. We included qualitative or quantitative studies describing at least one coping strategy for chronic illness OOP payments in a LMIC context. Our narrative review follows Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses reporting guidelines.

RESULTS

Forty-seven papers were included. Studies identified coping strategies for chronic illness costs that are not traditionally addressed in financial risk protection research (eg, taking children out of school, sending them to work, reducing expenditure on food or education, quitting work to give care). Twenty studies reported socioeconomic or other correlates of coping strategies, with poorer households and those with more advanced disease more vulnerable to detrimental strategies. Only six studies (three cross-sectional and three qualitative) included evidence of impacts of coping strategies on households, including increased labour to repay debts and discontinuing treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Monitoring of financial risk protection provides an incomplete picture if it fails to capture the effect of coping strategies. This will require qualitative and longitudinal research to understand the long-term effects, especially those associated with chronic illness in LMICs.

Integrating a brief mental health intervention into primary care services for patients with HIV and diabetes in South Africa: study protocol for a trial-based economic evaluation

INTRODUCTION

Depression and alcohol use disorders are international public health priorities for which there is a substantial treatment gap. Brief mental health interventions delivered by lay health workers in primary care services may reduce this gap. There is limited economic evidence assessing the cost-effectiveness of such interventions in low-income and middle-income countries. This paper describes the proposed economic evaluation of a health systems intervention testing the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of two task-sharing approaches to integrating services for common mental disorders with HIV and diabetes primary care services.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This evaluation will be conducted as part of a three-armed cluster randomised controlled trial of clinical effectiveness. Trial clinical outcome measures will include primary outcomes for risk of depression and alcohol use, and secondary outcomes for risk of chronic disease (HIV and diabetes) treatment failure. The cost-effectiveness analysis will evaluate cost per unit change in Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test and Centre for Epidemiological Studies scale on Depression scores as well as cost per unit change in HIV RNA viral load and haemoglobin A1c, producing results of provider and patient cost per patient year for each study arm and chronic disease. The cost utility analyses will provide results of cost per quality-adjusted life year gained. Additional analyses relevant for implementation including budget impact analyses will be conducted to inform the development of a business case for scaling up the country's investment in mental health services.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The Western Cape Department of Health (WCDoH) (WC2016_RP6_9), the South African Medical Research Council (EC 004-2/2015), the University of Cape Town (089/2015) and Oxford University (OxTREC 2-17) provided ethical approval for this study. Results dissemination will include policy briefs, social media, peer-reviewed papers, a policy dialogue workshop and press briefings.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

PACTR201610001825405.

Patient costs incurred by people living with HIV/AIDS prior to ART initiation in primary healthcare facilities in Gauteng, South Africa

PURPOSE

To quantify costs to patients of accessing HIV care prior to ART initiation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Using a cross-sectional study design, costs incurred by HIV-positive patients prior to ART initiation were estimated at urban primary healthcare facilities in South Africa. Costs included direct costs, indirect (productivity) costs, carer and coping costs (value of assets sold and money borrowed). The percentage of individual income spent on healthcare was calculated and compared by patient income tertiles and CD4 count strata.

RESULTS

289 patients (69% female, mean age 37 (SD: 10) years, median CD4 317 (IQR: 138-494) cells/mm3) were interviewed. The total mean monthly cost of pre-ART care was US$15.71. Indirect costs accounted for $2.59 (16.49%) of this when time was valued using the patient's reported income. The mean monthly patient costs were $31.61, $12.78, $12.65 and $11.93 for those with a CD4 count <100, 101-350, 351-500 and >500 cells/mm3 respectively. The percentage of individual income spent on healthcare was 7.25% for those with a CD4 count <100 cells/mm3 and 4.05% for those with a CD4 count >500 cells/mm3.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the provision of charge-free services at public clinics, care prior to ART initiation can be costly, particularly for the poor and unemployed. Our study adds to the growing body of evidence that highlights the need to consider policies to reduce the economic barriers to HIV service access, particularly for low income or unwell patient groups, such as improving access to disability grants.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the instrument "tool to estimate patient's costs" in priority municipalities of Brazil in tuberculosis control

Abstract Introduction: Tuberculosis is historically associated with poverty, generating costs that can influence treatment. Considering the impact of the costs of illness, the importance of adapting the instrument is highlighted. Objective: To adapt transculturally to Brazilian Portuguese the instrument Tool to Estimate Patient's Costs. Methods: Study of the type transcultural adaptation of instrument. The translation followed the criteria described by Herdman, 1998, in order to preserve functional equivalence as much as possible. The questionnaire with cross-cultural adaptation was applied to 77 patients, with at least one full month of treatment for the disease. Results: Instrument was shown with Cronbach Alpha above 0.71 constituting a good tool for measuring the costs of the disease, being necessary modifications. Conclusions: This study suggests the creation of an instrument adapted for the treatment of TB in Brazil, for the evaluation of costs with the illness by tuberculosis.

Diagnostic delay in extrapulmonary tuberculosis and impact on patient morbidity: A study from Zanzibar

Background

Early and proper treatment of tuberculosis could have an important impact on the morbidity, mortality and the economic situation of patients. There is insufficient knowledge on the extent of diagnostic delay and the associated factors in extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB). The aims of this study were to assess the health care seeking behaviour, EPTB knowledge and diagnostic delay in presumptive EPTB patients at the main referral hospital in Zanzibar, factors associated with longer delay, and the impact of untreated EPTB on self-rated health.

Materials and methods

Prospective data collection using a semi-structured questionnaire in patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of EPTB. The time between the onset of symptoms and first visit to a health care provider (patient delay), and then to the initiation of treatment (health system delay) and total delay were analysed according to sociodemographic and clinical factors and health care seeking trajectories. The EQ-5D-3L was used among the adult EPTB patients to assess the impact of treatment on self-rated health.

Results

Of the 132 patients with median age of 27 years (interquartile range 8–41), 69 were categorized as TB cases and 63 as non-TB cases. The median patient, health system and total delays were 14, 34 and 62 days respectively, among the EPTB patients. A longer health system delay with repeated visits to the same health care level was reported. Significantly better self-rated health status was described after treatment. The knowledge regarding extrapulmonary disease was low.

Conclusion

Many EPTB patients, presenting to the main referral hospital in Zanzibar, experience a long delay in the initiation of treatment, specially patients with TB lymphadenitis. The health system delay is the major contributor to the total delay. The improvement of self-rated health after treatment implies that timely treatment has the potential to reduce morbidity and the economic loss for the patient.

Catastrophic total costs in tuberculosis-affected households and their determinants since Indonesia's implementation of universal health coverage

Background

As well as imposing an economic burden on affected households, the high costs related to tuberculosis (TB) can create access and adherence barriers. This highlights the particular urgency of achieving one of the End TB Strategy’s targets: that no TB-affected households have to face catastrophic costs by 2020. In Indonesia, as elsewhere, there is also an emerging need to provide social protection by implementing universal health coverage (UHC). We therefore assessed the incidence of catastrophic total costs due to TB, and their determinants since the implementation of UHC.

Methods

We interviewed adult TB and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) patients in urban, suburban and rural areas of Indonesia who had been treated for at least one month or had finished treatment no more than one month earlier. Following the WHO recommendation, we assessed the incidence of catastrophic total costs due to TB. We also analyzed the sensitivity of incidence relative to several thresholds, and measured differences between poor and non-poor households in the incidence of catastrophic costs. Generalized linear mixed-model analysis was used to identify determinants of the catastrophic total costs.

Results

We analyzed 282 TB and 64 MDR-TB patients. For TB-related services, the median (interquartile range) of total costs incurred by households was 133 USD (55–576); for MDR-TB-related services, it was 2804 USD (1008–4325). The incidence of catastrophic total costs in all TB-affected households was 36% (43% in poor households and 25% in non-poor households). For MDR-TB-affected households, the incidence was 83% (83% and 83%). In TB-affected households, the determinants of catastrophic total costs were poor households (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.7–7.8); being a breadwinner (aOR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.3–6.6); job loss (aOR = 21.2; 95% CI: 8.3–53.9); and previous TB treatment (aOR = 2.9; 95% CI: 1.4–6.1). In MDR-TB-affected households, having an income-earning job before diagnosis was the only determinant of catastrophic total costs (aOR = 8.7; 95% CI: 1.8–41.7).

Conclusions

Despite the implementation of UHC, TB-affected households still risk catastrophic total costs and further impoverishment. As well as ensuring access to healthcare, a cost-mitigation policy and additional financial protection should be provided to protect the poor and relieve income losses.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s40249-017-0382-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The patient costs of care for those with TB and HIV: a cross-sectional study from South Africa

BACKGROUND

This study describes the post-diagnosis care-seeking costs incurred by people living with TB and/or HIV and their households, in order to identify the potential benefits of integrated care.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study with 454 participants with TB or HIV or both in public primary health care clinics in Ekurhuleni North Sub-District, South Africa. We collected information on visits to health facilities, direct and indirect costs for participants and for their guardians and caregivers. We define 'integration' as receipt of both TB and HIV services at the same facility, on the same day. Costs were presented and compared across participants with TB/HIV, TB-only and HIV-only. Costs exceeding 10% of participant income were considered catastrophic.

RESULTS

Participants with both TB and HIV faced a greater economic burden (US$74/month) than those with TB-only (US$68/month) or HIV-only (US$40/month). On average, people with TB/HIV made 18.4 visits to health facilities, more than TB-only participants or HIV-only participants who made 16 and 5.1 visits, respectively. However, people with TB/HIV had fewer standalone TB (10.9) and HIV (2.2) visits than those with TB-only (14.5) or HIV-only (4.4). Although people with TB/HIV had access to 'integrated' services, their time loss was substantially higher than for other participants. Overall, 55% of participants encountered catastrophic costs. Access to official social protection schemes was minimal.

CONCLUSIONS

People with TB/HIV in South Africa are at high risk of catastrophic costs. To some extent, integration of services reduces the number of standalone TB and HIV of visits to the health facility. It is however unlikely that catastrophic costs can be averted by service integration alone. Our results point to the need for timely social protection, particularly for HIV-positive people starting TB treatment.

Health-Related Resource-Use Measurement Instruments for Intersectoral Costs and Benefits in the Education and Criminal Justice Sectors

BACKGROUND

Intersectoral costs and benefits (ICBs), i.e. costs and benefits of healthcare interventions outside the healthcare sector, can be a crucial component in economic evaluations from the societal perspective. Pivotal to their estimation is the existence of sound resource-use measurement (RUM) instruments; however, RUM instruments for ICBs in the education or criminal justice sectors have not yet been systematically collated or their psychometric quality assessed. This review aims to fill this gap.

METHODS

To identify relevant instruments, the Database of Instruments for Resource Use Measurement (DIRUM) was searched. Additionally, a systematic literature review was conducted in seven electronic databases to detect instruments containing ICB items used in economic evaluations. Finally, studies evaluating the psychometric quality of these instruments were searched.

RESULTS

Twenty-six unique instruments were included. Most frequently, ICB items measured school absenteeism, tutoring, classroom assistance or contacts with legal representatives, police custody/prison detainment and court appearances, with the highest number of items listed in the Client Service Receipt Inventory/Client Sociodemographic and Service Receipt Inventory/Client Service Receipt Inventory-Children's Version (CSRI/CSSRI/CSRI-C), Studying the Scope of Parental Expenditures (SCOPE) and Self-Harm Intervention, Family Therapy (SHIFT) instruments. ICBs in the education sector were especially relevant for age-related developmental disorders and chronic diseases, while criminal justice resource use seems more important in mental health, including alcohol-related disorders or substance abuse. Evidence on the validity or reliability of ICB items was published for two instruments only.

CONCLUSION

With a heterogeneous variety of ICBs found to be relevant for several disease areas but many ICB instruments applied in one study only (21/26 instruments), setting-up an international task force to, for example, develop an internationally adaptable instrument is recommended.

A randomized controlled study of socioeconomic support to enhance tuberculosis prevention and treatment, Peru

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of socioeconomic support on tuberculosis preventive therapy initiation in household contacts of tuberculosis patients and on treatment success in patients.

METHODS

A non-blinded, household-randomized, controlled study was performed between February 2014 and June 2015 in 32 shanty towns in Peru. It included patients being treated for tuberculosis and their household contacts. Households were randomly assigned to either the standard of care provided by Peru's national tuberculosis programme (control arm) or the same standard of care plus socioeconomic support (intervention arm). Socioeconomic support comprised conditional cash transfers up to 230 United States dollars per household, community meetings and household visits. Rates of tuberculosis preventive therapy initiation and treatment success (i.e. cure or treatment completion) were compared in intervention and control arms.

FINDINGS

Overall, 282 of 312 (90%) households agreed to participate: 135 in the intervention arm and 147 in the control arm. There were 410 contacts younger than 20 years: 43% in the intervention arm initiated tuberculosis preventive therapy versus 25% in the control arm (adjusted odds ratio, aOR: 2.2; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.1-4.1). An intention-to-treat analysis showed that treatment was successful in 64% (87/135) of patients in the intervention arm versus 53% (78/147) in the control arm (unadjusted OR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.0-2.6). These improvements were equitable, being independent of household poverty.

CONCLUSION

A tuberculosis-specific, socioeconomic support intervention increased uptake of tuberculosis preventive therapy and tuberculosis treatment success and is being evaluated in the Community Randomized Evaluation of a Socioeconomic Intervention to Prevent TB (CRESIPT) project.

Barriers to initiating tuberculosis treatment in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review focused on children and youth

BACKGROUND

Tuberculosis (TB) is the deadliest infectious disease globally, with 10.4 million people infected and more than 1.8 million deaths in 2015. TB is a preventable, treatable, and curable disease, yet there are numerous barriers to initiating treatment. These barriers to treatment are exacerbated in low-resource settings and may be compounded by factors related to childhood.

OBJECTIVE

Timely initiation of tuberculosis (TB) treatment is critical to reducing disease transmission and improving patient outcomes. The aim of this paper is to describe patient- and system-level barriers to TB treatment initiation specifically for children and youth in sub-Saharan Africa through systematic review of the literature.

DESIGN

This review was conducted in October 2015 in accordance with preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Six databases were searched to identify studies where primary or secondary objectives were related to barriers to TB treatment initiation and which included children or youth 0-24 years of age.

RESULTS

A total of 1490 manuscripts met screening criteria; 152 met criteria for full-text review and 47 for analysis. Patient-level barriers included limited knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding TB, and economic burdens. System-level barriers included centralization of services, health system delays, and geographical access to healthcare. Of the 47 studies included, 7 evaluated cost, 19 health-seeking behaviors, and 29 health system infrastructure. Only 4 studies primarily assessed pediatric cohorts yet all 47 studies were inclusive of children.

CONCLUSIONS

Recognizing and removing barriers to treatment initiation for pediatric TB in sub-Saharan Africa are critical. Both patient- and system-level barriers must be better researched in order to improve patient outcomes.

Beyond pills and tests: addressing the social determinants of tuberculosis

Poverty drives tuberculosis (TB) rates but the approach to TB control has been disproportionately biomedical. In 2015, the World Health Organization's End TB Strategy explicitly identified the need to address the social determinants of TB through socio-economic interventions. However, evidence concerning poverty reduction and cost mitigation strategies is limited. The research described in this article, based on the 2016 Royal College of Physicians Linacre Lecture, aimed to address this knowledge gap. The research was divided into two phases: the first phase was an analysis of a cohort study identifying TB-related costs of TB-affected households and creating a clinically relevant threshold above which those costs became catastrophic; the second was the design, implementation and evaluation of a household randomised controlled evaluation of socio-economic support to improve access to preventive therapy, increase TB cure, and mitigate the effects of catastrophic costs. The first phase showed TB remains a disease of people living in poverty - 'free' TB care was unaffordable for impoverished TB-affected households and incurring catastrophic costs was associated with as many adverse TB treatment outcomes (including death, failure of treatment, lost to follow-up and TB recurrence) as multidrug resistant (MDR) TB. The second phase showed that, in TB-affected households receiving socio-economic support, household contacts were more likely to start and adhere to TB preventive therapy, TB patients were more likely to be cured and households were less likely to incur catastrophic costs. In impoverished Peruvian shantytowns, poverty remains inextricably linked with TB and incurring catastrophic costs predicted adverse TB treatment outcome. A novel socio-economic support intervention increased TB preventive therapy uptake, improved TB treatment success and reduced catastrophic costs. The impact of the intervention on TB control is currently being evaluated by the Community Randomized Evaluation of a Socio-economic Intervention to Prevent TB (CRESIPT) study.

Beyond pills and tests: addressing the social determinants of tuberculosis

Poverty drives tuberculosis (TB) rates but the approach to TB control has been disproportionately biomedical. In 2015, the World Health Organization's End TB Strategy explicitly identified the need to address the social determinants of TB through socio-economic interventions. However, evidence concerning poverty reduction and cost mitigation strategies is limited. The research described in this article, based on the 2016 Royal College of Physicians Linacre Lecture, aimed to address this knowledge gap. The research was divided into two phases: the first phase was an analysis of a cohort study identifying TB-related costs of TB-affected households and creating a clinically relevant threshold above which those costs became catastrophic; the second was the design, implementation and evaluation of a household randomised controlled evaluation of socio-economic support to improve access to preventive therapy, increase TB cure, and mitigate the effects of catastrophic costs. The first phase showed TB remains a disease of people living in poverty - 'free' TB care was unaffordable for impoverished TB-affected households and incurring catastrophic costs was associated with as many adverse TB treatment outcomes (including death, failure of treatment, lost to follow-up and TB recurrence) as multidrug resistant (MDR) TB. The second phase showed that, in TB-affected households receiving socio-economic support, household contacts were more likely to start and adhere to TB preventive therapy, TB patients were more likely to be cured and households were less likely to incur catastrophic costs. In impoverished Peruvian shantytowns, poverty remains inextricably linked with TB and incurring catastrophic costs predicted adverse TB treatment outcome. A novel socio-economic support intervention increased TB preventive therapy uptake, improved TB treatment success and reduced catastrophic costs. The impact of the intervention on TB control is currently being evaluated by the Community Randomized Evaluation of a Socio-economic Intervention to Prevent TB (CRESIPT) study.

The economic effects of supporting tuberculosis-affected households in Peru

The End TB Strategy mandates that no tuberculosis (TB)-affected households face catastrophic costs due to TB. However, evidence is limited to evaluate socioeconomic support to achieve this change in policy and practice. The objective of the present study was to investigate the economic effects of a TB-specific socioeconomic intervention.The setting was 32 shantytown communities in Peru. The participants were from households of consecutive TB patients throughout TB treatment administered by the national TB programme. The intervention consisted of social support through household visits and community meetings, and economic support through cash transfers conditional upon TB screening in household contacts, adhering to TB treatment/chemoprophylaxis and engaging with social support. Data were collected to assess TB-affected household costs. Patient interviews were conducted at treatment initiation and then monthly for 6 months.From February 2014 to June 2015, 312 households were recruited, of which 135 were randomised to receive the intervention. Cash transfer total value averaged US$173 (3.5% of TB-affected households' average annual income) and mitigated 20% of households' TB-related costs. Households randomised to receive the intervention were less likely to incur catastrophic costs (30% (95% CI 22-38%) versus 42% (95% CI 34-51%)). The mitigation impact was higher among poorer households.The TB-specific socioeconomic intervention reduced catastrophic costs and was accessible to poorer households. Socioeconomic support and mitigating catastrophic costs are integral to the End TB strategy, and our findings inform implementation of these new policies.

The economic effects of supporting tuberculosis-affected households in Peru

The End TB Strategy mandates that no tuberculosis (TB)-affected households face catastrophic costs due to TB. However, evidence is limited to evaluate socioeconomic support to achieve this change in policy and practice. The objective of the present study was to investigate the economic effects of a TB-specific socioeconomic intervention.The setting was 32 shantytown communities in Peru. The participants were from households of consecutive TB patients throughout TB treatment administered by the national TB programme. The intervention consisted of social support through household visits and community meetings, and economic support through cash transfers conditional upon TB screening in household contacts, adhering to TB treatment/chemoprophylaxis and engaging with social support. Data were collected to assess TB-affected household costs. Patient interviews were conducted at treatment initiation and then monthly for 6 months.From February 2014 to June 2015, 312 households were recruited, of which 135 were randomised to receive the intervention. Cash transfer total value averaged US$173 (3.5% of TB-affected households' average annual income) and mitigated 20% of households' TB-related costs. Households randomised to receive the intervention were less likely to incur catastrophic costs (30% (95% CI 22-38%) versus 42% (95% CI 34-51%)). The mitigation impact was higher among poorer households.The TB-specific socioeconomic intervention reduced catastrophic costs and was accessible to poorer households. Socioeconomic support and mitigating catastrophic costs are integral to the End TB strategy, and our findings inform implementation of these new policies.

The socioeconomic impact of multidrug resistant tuberculosis on patients: results from Ethiopia, Indonesia and Kazakhstan

BACKGROUND

One of the main goals of the post-2015 global tuberculosis (TB) strategy is that no families affected by TB face catastrophic costs. We revised an existing TB patient cost measurement tool to specifically also measure multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB patients' costs and applied it in Ethiopia, Indonesia and Kazakhstan.

METHODS

Through structured interviews with TB and MDR-TB patients in different stages of treatment, we collected data on the direct (out of pocket) and indirect (loss of income) costs of patients and their families related to the diagnosis and treatment of TB and MDR-TB. Direct costs included costs for hospitalization, follow-up tests, transport costs for health care visits, and food supplements. Calculation of indirect costs was based on time needed for diagnosis and treatment. Costs were extrapolated over the patient's total treatment phase.

RESULTS

In total 406 MDR-TB patients and 197 other TB patients were included in the survey: 169 MDR-TB patients and 25 other TB patients in Ethiopia; 143 MDR-TB patients and 118 TB patients in Indonesia; and 94 MDR-TB patients and 54 other TB patients in Kazakhstan. Total costs for diagnosis and current treatment episode for TB patients were estimated to be USD 260 in Ethiopia, USD 169 in Indonesia, and USD 929 in Kazakhstan, compared to USD 1838, USD 2342, and USD 3125 for MDR-TB patients, respectively. These costs represented 0.82-4.6 months of pre-treatment household income for TB patients and 9.3-24.9 months for MDR-TB patients. Importantly, 38-92 % reported income loss and 26-76 % of TB patients lost their jobs due to (MDR) TB illness, further aggravating the financial burden.

CONCLUSIONS

The financial burden of MDR-TB is alarming, although all TB patients experienced substantial socioeconomic impact of the disease. If the patient is the breadwinner of the family, the combination of lost income and extra costs is generally catastrophic. Therefore, it should be a priority of the government to relieve the financial burden based on the cost mitigation options identified.

Coping with tuberculosis and directly observed treatment: a qualitative study among patients from South India

BACKGROUND

In India, the Revised National TB control programme (RNTCP) offers free diagnosis and treatment for tuberculosis (TB), based on the Directly Observed Treatment Short course (DOTS) strategy. We conducted a qualitative study to explore the experience and consequences of having TB on patients enrolled in DOTS and their caretakers in Tumkur district, located in a southern state of India, Karnataka.

METHODS

We conducted 33 in-depth interviews on a purposive sample of TB patients from three groups: (1) patients who reached RNTCP directly on their own and took DOTS at RNTCP; (2) patients who were referred by private practitioners (PPs) to RNTCP and took DOTS at RNTCP; and (3) patients diagnosed by RNTCP and took DOTS from PPs. Data was analyzed using a thematic approach with the support of NVivo9.

RESULTS

The study revealed that TB and DOTS have a large impact on patient's lives, which is often extended to the family and caretakers. The most vulnerable patients faced the most difficulty in accessing and completing DOTS. The family was the main source of support during patient's recovery. Patients residing in rural areas and, taking DOTS from the government facilities had to overcome many barriers to adhere to the DOTS therapy, such as long travelling distance to DOTS centers, inconvenient timings and unfavorable attitude of the RNTCP staff, when compared to patients who took DOTS from PPs. Advantages of taking DOTS from PPs cited by the patients were privacy, flexibility in timings, proximity and more immediate access to care. Patients and their family had to cope with stigmatization and fear and financial hardships that surfaced from TB and DOTS. Young patients living in urban areas were more worried about stigmatisation, than elderly patients living in rural areas. Patients who were referred by PPs experienced more financial problems compared to those who reached RNTCP services directly.

CONCLUSION

Our study provided useful information about patient's needs and expectations while taking DOTS. The development of mechanisms within RNTCP towards patient centered care is needed to enable patients and caretakers cope with disease condition and adhere to DOTS.

Productivity losses associated with tuberculosis deaths in the World Health Organization African region

BACKGROUND

In 2014, almost half of the global tuberculosis deaths occurred in the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region. Approximately 21.5 % of the 6 060 742 TB cases (new and relapse) reported to the WHO in 2014 were in the African Region. The specific objective of this study was to estimate future gross domestic product (GDP) losses associated with TB deaths in the African Region for use in advocating for better strategies to prevent and control tuberculosis.

METHODS

The cost-of-illness method was used to estimate non-health GDP losses associated with TB deaths. Future non-health GDP losses were discounted at 3 %. The analysis was conducted for three income groups of countries. One-way sensitivity analysis at 5 and 10 % discount rates was undertaken to assess the impact on the expected non-health GDP loss.

RESULTS

The 0.753 million tuberculosis deaths that occurred in the African Region in 2014 would be expected to decrease the future non-health GDP by International Dollars (Int$) 50.4 billion. Nearly 40.8, 46.7 and 12.5 % of that loss would come from high and upper-middle- countries or lower-middle- and low-income countries, respectively. The average total non-health GDP loss would be Int$66 872 per tuberculosis death. The average non-health GDP loss per TB death was Int$167 592 for Group 1, Int$69 808 for Group 2 and Int$21 513 for Group 3.

CONCLUSION

Tuberculosis exerts a sizeable economic burden on the economies of the WHO AFR countries. This implies the need to strongly advocate for better strategies to prevent and control tuberculosis and to help countries end the epidemic of tuberculosis by 2030, as envisioned in the United Nations General Assembly resolution on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Shortened first-line TB treatment in Brazil: potential cost savings for patients and health services

BACKGROUND

Shortened treatment regimens for tuberculosis are under development to improve treatment outcomes and reduce costs. We estimated potential savings from a societal perspective in Brazil following the introduction of a hypothetical four-month regimen for tuberculosis treatment.

METHODS

Data were gathered in ten randomly selected health facilities in Rio de Janeiro. Health service costs were estimated using an ingredient approach. Patient costs were estimated from a questionnaire administered to 126 patients. Costs per visits and per case treated were analysed according to the type of therapy: self-administered treatment (SAT), community- and facility-directly observed treatment (community-DOT, facility-DOT).

RESULTS

During the last 2 months of treatment, the largest savings could be expected for community-DOT; on average USD 17,351-18,203 and USD 43,660-45,856 (bottom-up and top-down estimates) per clinic. Savings to patients could also be expected as the median (interquartile range) patient-related costs during the two last months were USD 108 (13-291), USD 93 (36-239) and USD 11 (7-126), respectively for SAT, facility-DOT and community-DOT.

CONCLUSION

Introducing a four-month regimen may result in significant cost savings for both the health service and patients, especially the poorest. In particular, a community-DOT strategy, including treatment at home, could maximise health services savings while limiting patient costs. Our cost estimates are likely to be conservative because a 4-month regimen could hypothetically increase the proportion of patients cured by reducing the number of patients defaulting and we did not include the possible cost benefits from the subsequent prevention of costs due to downstream transmission averted and rapid clinical improvement with less side effects in the last two months.

Patients' costs associated with seeking and accessing treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis in South Africa

SETTING

South Africa is one of the world's 22 high tuberculosis (TB) burden countries, with the second highest number of notified rifampicin-resistant TB (R(R)-TB) and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) cases.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate patient costs associated with the diagnosis and treatment of R(R)-TB/MDR-TB in South Africa.

DESIGN

Patients diagnosed with R(R)-TB/MDR-TB and accessing care at government health care facilities were surveyed using a structured questionnaire. Direct and indirect costs associated with accessing R(R)-TB/MDR-TB care were estimated at different treatment durations for each patient.

RESULTS

A total of 134 patients were surveyed: 84 in the intensive phase and 50 in the continuation phase of treatment, 82 in-patients and 52 out-patients. The mean monthly patient costs associated with the diagnosis and treatment of R(R)-TB/MDR-TB were higher during the intensive phase than the continuation phase (US$235 vs. US$188) and among in-patients than among out-patients (US$269 vs. US$122). Patients in the continuation phase and those accessing care as out-patients reported higher out-of-pocket costs than other patients. Most patients did not access social protection for costs associated with R(R)-TB/MDR-TB illness.

CONCLUSION

Despite free health care, patients bear high costs when accessing diagnosis and treatment services for R(R)-TB/MDR-TB; appropriate social protection mechanisms should be provided to assist them in coping with these costs.

Transaction costs of access to health care: Implications of the care-seeking pathways of tuberculosis patients for health system governance in Nigeria

Health care costs incurred prior to the appropriate patient-provider transaction (i.e., transaction costs of access to health care) are potential barriers to accessing health care in low- and middle-income countries. This paper explores these transaction costs and their implications for health system governance through a cross-sectional survey of adult patients who received their first diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) at the three designated secondary health centres for TB care in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The patients provided information on their care-seeking pathways and the associated costs prior to reaching the appropriate provider. Of the 452 patients, 84% first consulted an inappropriate provider. Only 33% of inappropriate consultations were with qualified providers (QP); the rest were with informal providers such as pharmacy providers (PPs; 57%) and traditional providers (TP; 10%). Notably, 62% of total transaction costs were incurred during the first visit to an inappropriate provider and the mean transaction costs incurred was highest with QPs (US$30.20) compared with PPs (US$14.40) and TPs (US$15.70). These suggest that interventions for reducing transaction costs should include effective decentralisation to integrate TB care with services at the primary health care level, community engagement to address information asymmetry, enforcing regulations to keep informal providers within legal limits and facilitating referral linkages among formal and informal providers to increase early contact with appropriate providers.

Costs to Health Services and the Patient of Treating Tuberculosis: A Systematic Literature Review

BACKGROUND

Novel tuberculosis (TB) drugs and the need to treat drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) are likely to bring about substantial transformations in TB treatment in coming years. An evidence base for cost and cost-effectiveness analyses of these developments is needed.

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to perform a review of papers assessing provider-incurred as well as patient-incurred costs of treating both drug-susceptible (DS) and multidrug-resistant (MDR)-TB.

METHODS

Five databases (EMBASE, Medline, the National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database, the Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Registry, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Services Literature) were searched for cost and economic evaluation full-text papers containing primary DS-TB and MDR-TB treatment cost data published in peer-reviewed journals between January 1990 and February 2015. No language restrictions were set. The search terms were a combination of 'tuberculosis', 'multidrug-resistant tuberculosis', 'cost', and 'treatment'. In the selected papers, study methods and characteristics, quality indicators and costs were extracted into summary tables according to pre-defined criteria. Results were analysed according to country income groups and for provider costs, patient costs and productivity losses. All values were converted to $US, year 2014 values, so that studies could be compared.

RESULTS

We selected 71 treatment cost papers on DS-TB only, ten papers on MDR-TB only and nine papers that included both DS-TB and MDR-TB. These papers provided evidence on the costs of treating DS-TB and MDR-TB in 50 and 16 countries, respectively. In 31 % of the papers, only provider costs were included; 26 % included only patient-incurred costs, and the remaining 43 % estimated costs incurred by both. From the provider perspective, mean DS-TB treatment costs per patient were US$14,659 in high-income countries (HICs), US$840 in upper middle-income countries (UMICs), US$273 in lower middle-income (LMICs), and US$258 in low-income countries (LICs), showing a strong positive correlation. The respective costs for treating MDR-TB were US$83,365, US$5284, US$6313 and US$1218. Costs incurred by patients when seeking treatment for DS-TB accounted for an additional 3 % of the provider costs in HICs. A greater burden was seen in the other income groups, increasing the costs of DS-TB treatment by 72 % in UMICs, 60 % in LICs and 31 % in LMICs. When provider costs, patient costs and productivity losses were combined, productivity losses accounted for 16 % in HICs, 29 % in UMICs, 40 % in LMICs and 38 % in LICs.

CONCLUSION

Cost data for MDR-TB treatment are limited, and the variation in delivery mechanisms, as well as the rapidly evolving diagnosis and treatment regimens, means that it is essential to increase the number of studies assessing the cost from both provider and patient perspectives. There is substantial evidence available on the costs of DS-TB treatment from all regions of the world. The patient-incurred costs illustrate that the financial burden of illness is relatively greater for patients in poorer countries without universal healthcare coverage.

The economic burden of TB diagnosis and treatment in South Africa

Social protection against the cost of illness is a central policy objective of Universal Health Coverage and the post-2015 Global strategy for Tuberculosis (TB). Understanding the economic burden associated with TB illness and care is key to identifying appropriate interventions towards achieving this target. The aims of this study were to identify points in patient pathways from start of TB symptoms to treatment completion where interventions could be targeted to reduce the economic impact on patients and households, and to identify those most vulnerable to these costs. Two cohorts of patients accessing TB services from ten clinics in four provinces in South Africa were surveyed between July 2012 and June 2013. One cohort of 351 people with suspected TB were interviewed at the point of receiving a TB diagnostic and followed up six months later. Another cohort of 168 patients on TB treatment, at the same ten facilities, was interviewed at two-months and five-months on treatment. Patients were asked about their health-seeking behaviour, associated costs, income loss, and coping strategies used. Patients incurred the greatest share of TB episode costs (41%) prior to starting treatment, with the largest portion of these costs being due to income loss. Poorer patients incurred higher direct costs during treatment than those who were less poor but only 5% of those interviewed were accessing cash-transfers during treatment. Indirect costs accounted for 52% of total episode cost. Despite free TB diagnosis and care in South Africa, patients incur substantial direct and indirect costs particularly prior to starting treatment. The poorest group of patients were incurring higher costs, with fewer resources to pay for it. Both the direct and indirect cost of illness should be taken into account when setting levels of financial protection and social support, to prevent TB illness from pushing the poor further into poverty.

Health worker perspectives on barriers to delivery of routine tuberculosis diagnostic evaluation services in Uganda: a qualitative study to guide clinic-based interventions

BACKGROUND

Studies of the quality of tuberculosis (TB) diagnostic evaluation of patients in high burden countries have generally shown poor adherence to international or national guidelines. Health worker perspectives on barriers to improving TB diagnostic evaluation are critical for developing clinic-level interventions to improve guideline implementation.

METHODS

We conducted structured, in-depth interviews with staff at six district-level health centers in Uganda to elicit their perceptions regarding barriers to TB evaluation. Interviews were transcribed, coded with a standardized framework, and analyzed to identify emergent themes. We used thematic analysis to develop a logic model depicting health system and contextual barriers to recommended TB evaluation practices. To identify possible clinic-level interventions to improve TB evaluation, we categorized findings into predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors as described by the PRECEDE model, focusing on potentially modifiable behaviors at the clinic-level.

RESULTS

We interviewed 22 health center staff between February 2010 and November 2011. Participants identified key health system barriers hindering TB evaluation, including: stock-outs of drugs/supplies, inadequate space and infrastructure, lack of training, high workload, low staff motivation, and poor coordination of health center services. Contextual barrier challenges to TB evaluation were also reported, including the time and costs borne by patients to seek and complete TB evaluation, poor health literacy, and stigma against patients with TB. These contextual barriers interacted with health system barriers to contribute to sub-standard TB evaluation. Examples of intervention strategies that could address these barriers and are related to PRECEDE model components include: assigned mentors/peer coaching for new staff (targets predisposing factor of low motivation and need for support to conduct job duties); facilitated workshops to implement same day microscopy (targets enabling factor of patient barriers to completing TB evaluation), and recognition/incentives for good TB screening practices (targets low motivation and self-efficacy).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that health system and contextual barriers work together to impede TB diagnosis at health centers and, if not addressed, could hinder TB case detection efforts. Qualitative research that improves understanding of the barriers facing TB providers is critical to developing targeted interventions to improve TB care.

Socio-demographic factors affecting knowledge level of Tuberculosis patients in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh

BACKGROUND

The Tuberculosis (TB) control program in Bangladesh is still unsatisfactory due to insufficient knowledge and stigma about TB. Patients with low knowledge may be at higher risk of experiencing delays in diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

OBJECTIVES

The aims of this study were to identify the knowledge levels of TB and investigate the factors associated with knowledge level among the TB patients in Bangladesh.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted at Rajshahi City, Bangladesh. A total of 384 TB patients were interviewed through a pretested, structured questionnaire using purposive sampling techniques. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the effects of selected socio-demographic factors on TB knowledge level.

RESULTS

The results revealed that pulmonary TB patients had greater knowledge than that of extra-pulmonary patients, and that sex, age, educational status and TB type were significantly associated with knowledge level.

CONCLUSIONS

In general, males and young adults, ages 21-35, had greater awareness about transmission and prevention of TB than females and adults over 35. Individuals with higher education and urban area patients were comparatively better informed about TB infection. Patients with greater knowledge about TB were also less likely to experience delays in seeking treatment.

Barriers to completing TB diagnosis in Yemen: services should respond to patients' needs

Objectives and Background

Obtaining a diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) is a prerequisite for accessing specific treatment, yet one third of estimated new cases are missed worldwide by National Programmes. This study investigated economic, geographical, socio-cultural and health system factors hindering adults' attendance and completion of the TB diagnostic process in Yemen, to inform interventions designed to improve patient access to services.

Methodology

The study employed a mixed methods design comprising a cross-sectional survey and In-Depth-Interviews (IDIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) among patients abandoning the diagnosis or registering for treatment. Adults with cough of ≥2 weeks attending a large governmental referral centre in Sana'a, Yemen, between 2009 and 2010, were eligible to participate.

Results

497 and 446 (89.7%) participants were surveyed the first and second day of attending the services and 48 IDIs and 12 FGDs were also conducted. The majority of patients were disadvantaged and had poor literacy (61% illiterate), had travelled from rural areas (47%) and attended with companions (84%). Key barriers for attendance identified were clinic and transport costs (augmented by companions), distance from home, a preference for private services, strong social stigma and a lack of understanding of the diagnostic process. There were discrepancies between patient- and doctor-reported diagnosis and 46% of patients were unaware that TB treatment is free. Females faced more difficulties to attend than men. The laboratory practice of providing first-day negative smear results and making referrals to the private sector also discouraged patients from returning. Strategies to bring TB diagnostic services closer to communities and address the multiple barriers patients face to attend, will be important to increase access to TB diagnosis and care.

Defining catastrophic costs and comparing their importance for adverse tuberculosis outcome with multi-drug resistance: a prospective cohort study, Peru

BACKGROUND

Even when tuberculosis (TB) treatment is free, hidden costs incurred by patients and their households (TB-affected households) may worsen poverty and health. Extreme TB-associated costs have been termed "catastrophic" but are poorly defined. We studied TB-affected households' hidden costs and their association with adverse TB outcome to create a clinically relevant definition of catastrophic costs.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

From 26 October 2002 to 30 November 2009, TB patients (n = 876, 11% with multi-drug-resistant [MDR] TB) and healthy controls (n = 487) were recruited to a prospective cohort study in shantytowns in Lima, Peru. Patients were interviewed prior to and every 2-4 wk throughout treatment, recording direct (household expenses) and indirect (lost income) TB-related costs. Costs were expressed as a proportion of the household's annual income. In poorer households, costs were lower but constituted a higher proportion of the household's annual income: 27% (95% CI = 20%-43%) in the least-poor houses versus 48% (95% CI = 36%-50%) in the poorest. Adverse TB outcome was defined as death, treatment abandonment or treatment failure during therapy, or recurrence within 2 y. 23% (166/725) of patients with a defined treatment outcome had an adverse outcome. Total costs ≥20% of household annual income was defined as catastrophic because this threshold was most strongly associated with adverse TB outcome. Catastrophic costs were incurred by 345 households (39%). Having MDR TB was associated with a higher likelihood of incurring catastrophic costs (54% [95% CI = 43%-61%] versus 38% [95% CI = 34%-41%], p<0.003). Adverse outcome was independently associated with MDR TB (odds ratio [OR] = 8.4 [95% CI = 4.7-15], p<0.001), previous TB (OR = 2.1 [95% CI = 1.3-3.5], p = 0.005), days too unwell to work pre-treatment (OR = 1.01 [95% CI = 1.00-1.01], p = 0.02), and catastrophic costs (OR = 1.7 [95% CI = 1.1-2.6], p = 0.01). The adjusted population attributable fraction of adverse outcomes explained by catastrophic costs was 18% (95% CI = 6.9%-28%), similar to that of MDR TB (20% [95% CI = 14%-25%]). Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that existing catastrophic costs thresholds (≥10% or ≥15% of household annual income) were not associated with adverse outcome in our setting. Study limitations included not measuring certain "dis-saving" variables (including selling household items) and gathering only 6 mo of costs-specific follow-up data for MDR TB patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite free TB care, having TB disease was expensive for impoverished TB patients in Peru. Incurring higher relative costs was associated with adverse TB outcome. The population attributable fraction indicated that catastrophic costs and MDR TB were associated with similar proportions of adverse outcomes. Thus TB is a socioeconomic as well as infectious problem, and TB control interventions should address both the economic and clinical aspects of this disease. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.

Financial burden for tuberculosis patients in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

In order to inform the development of appropriate strategies to improve financial risk protection, we conducted a systematic literature review of the financial burden of tuberculosis (TB) faced by patients and affected families. The mean total costs ranged from $55 to $8198, with an unweighted average of $847. On average, 20% (range 0-62%) of the total cost was due to direct medical costs, 20% (0-84%) to direct non-medical costs, and 60% (16-94%) to income loss. Half of the total cost was incurred before TB treatment. On average, the total cost was equivalent to 58% (range 5-306%) of reported annual individual and 39% (4-148%) of reported household income. Cost as percentage of income was particularly high among poor people and those with multidrug-resistant TB. Commonly reported coping mechanisms included taking a loan and selling household items. The total cost of TB for patients can be catastrophic. Income loss often constitutes the largest financial risk for patients. Apart from ensuring that healthcare services are fairly financed and delivered in a way that minimises direct and indirect costs, there is a need to ensure that TB patients and affected families receive appropriate income replacement and other social protection interventions.

Evaluation of directly observed treatment short courses at a secondary health institution in Ibadan, Oyo State, Southwestern Nigeria

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the success rate of tuberculosis intervention programme at a specialist hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria through a retrospective study as well as carry out physicochemical evaluation of anti-tuberculous agents as a way of eliminating drug-related failure.

METHODS

The retrospective study involved the use of quarterly tuberculosis central register at the Government Chest Hospital, Ibadan between 1st quarter (2003) to 4th quarter (2009). Relevant data were extracted from these register with the aid of data collection forms. The basic physicochemical analyses of the drugs given to the patients were also carried out using the International Pharmacopoeia methods.

RESULTS

All the drugs examined for their physicochemical properties passed the International Pharmacopeia recommended tests. A total number of 1 260 patients enrolled at the hospital were assessed through case notes. This comprises of 59.4% males of which 69.23% new cases were also males. There was a significant (P<0.05) patient enrollment across the quarters for the seven years. An overall 80.24% cure rate over the 7-period was obtained which is less than the WHO target of 85%. Cure rates were better in females than males. Failure treatment outcomes such as positive (1.51%), deaths (8.73%), defaulted (3.33%) and transferred out (5.95%) were recorded though not statistically significant (P>0.05). Failure rates in all categories were higher in males than females (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

More enlightenment and counseling is still required to meet up with the target for TB control.