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Cost effectiveness of Tuberculosis Treatment from the Patients' Perspective


Lawrence U. Ogbonnaya

Abstract

Objective: I o compare the cost-effectiveness of two strategies for supervising the Directly Observed Treatment Short course (DOTS) during the intensive phase of Tuberculosis treatment.


Methodology: 600 newly diagnosed previously untreated smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients were randomly assigned to the study and control groups.


A trained lay supervisor supervised each study group patient at home while nurses supervised the control group patients at the clinic.


Results: At the end of the study, the control group incurred personal cost in transport fare 14 times higher, and lost income 6.5 times more, than the study group.


Conclusion: It is concluded that home-based lay worker supervised Directly Observed Treatment Short course is more cost effective from the patients' point of view.


DOTS needs to be re-focused out of the hospitals and clinics and made community based in view of the increasing TB caseload occasioned by HI V/AIDS.


Key Words: Cost effectiveness, Tuberculosis treatment, personal cost, patient's perspective


Orient Journal of Medicine Vol.16(3&4) 2004: 1-6

Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 3027-2890
print ISSN: 1115-0521