Economic burden of coronary heart disease in North India

• Main Authors: Akashdeep Singh Chauhan, Kanchan Mukherjee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2016-01-01
• Series: International Journal of Noncommunicable Diseases
• Subjects: Coping mechanisms; coronary heart disease; distress financing; out of pocket expenditure
• Online Access: http://www.ijncd.org/article.asp?issn=2468-8827;year=2016;volume=1;issue=1;spage=18;epage=25;aulast=Chauhan

Background: The treatment of chronic diseases like coronary heart disease (CHD) is expensive and can consume a significant portion of household′s income, leading to catastrophic effects on families, particularly those of low socioeconomic status. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study carried out in a private super specialty hospital and a government tertiary care hospital. Nonprobability purposive sampling method was used to collect primary data from a sample of 102 households; having a member suffering from CHD. Economic burden was assessed regarding average out of pocket (OOP) expenditure and prevalence of distress financing (DF) (borrowings or selling of assets) among the households. Results: Average OOP expenditure among those having an episode of hospitalization and those who got treated in outpatient department sessions only was INR 243,606 and INR 48,578, respectively. This expenditure was statistically higher (P < 0.5) for richest than the poorest households. However this expenditure as a proportion of annual household consumption expenditure was highest for the poorer than the richest (P < 0.5). Expenses were reported higher for those who got treatment in private hospital as compared to government hospital by 26%. The prevalence of DF came out to be 38.2% with poorest reporting higher percentage of 67% as compared to 4% in richest households. Conclusion: There is a need to consider the rising OOP expenditure for the treatment of chronic conditions like CHD. There is a need to develop health financing systems that improve the financial risk protection for those requiring treatment.