Analysis of the Costs Incurred by Patients with Chagas Disease: The Experience in Endemic Municipalities in Colombia

by Herazo R, Rey A, Galvão D, Medina Camargo M, Cobos Pinzón NJ, Rodriguez Sanchez AC, Marchiol A, Pinazo MJ. Acta Tropica 2023,106963 doi: doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106963.

Summary: Many individuals incur out-of-pocket costs when accessing health services. To understand this barrier to access, the authors prepared a structured survey for patients with Chagas disease who were treated by the healthcare system in endemic municipalities in Colombia. The data from 91 patients revealed that patients spent 5.5 times more on food and accommodation and 5 times more on transport, lost 3 times more earnings, and took 4 times longer to travel when treated at the specialized reference hospital than at a local primary care hospital. Providing comprehensive Chagas management at local hospitals would help patients save on out-of-pocket costs, improving adhesion to treatment and benefiting the whole health system.

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