| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立台北護理學院 === 護理研究所 === 90 === The main purpose of this research is to realize the cost of medical treatment and consumption of production due to rheumatoid arthritis. Furthermore, I want to probe into the correlation of rheumatoid arthritis patients among their personality peculiarity, health status, and the cost of illness (including direct costs and indirect costs). Convenience samples of 173 rheumatoid arthritis patients were extracted from two large teaching hospitals in Taipei. The data was collected through interviews and the review of patients’ chart records. Through the face-to-face interviews, the subjects were measured by structural questionnaires, including a three part basic data of demographic feature questionnaires, health assessments questionnaires(HAQ), and cost of illness questionnaires. The data was analyzed by descriptive statistics, one-way Anova, independent t-test, Pearson correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression.
According to the research results, the cost of illness per rheumatoid arthritis patients in 2001 totaled $283, 453 NT dollars. The direct cost amount was $91,008 NT dollars and the indirect cost was $192,445 NT dollars. In the hierarchical multiple regression analysis, patients with higher income brackets and patients who frequently used medical treatments had a higher cost of illness. High HAQ and/or pain scores resulted in higher cost of illness. Among those factors, the HAQ scores were the key points and the explanatory variability result was 53.6%.
By increasing education and understanding of rheumatoid arthritis treatment fees and the related loss from patients or their family can determine some resolution. In turn, the information could give medical professionals and the Bureau of Public Health some comparison and knowledge regarding the priority of health needs and resource allocations for this issue.
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