| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立陽明大學 === 醫務管理研究所 === 103 === Background and Objective:
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that results in a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder. It can be a disabling and painful condition, which can lead to substantial loss of functioning and mobility if not adequately treated. The aim of this study was to estimate the economic cost of RA patients and their family in Taiwan.
Methods:
We estimated cost of RA from the societal perspective. Data Sourced both from the Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in 2010 and a face-to-face interview survey to the patients with RA. We identified all patients by both the primary diagnosis code ICD-9-CM 714.0 and the catastrophic illness certificate from NHI claim data. In addition, Patients were recruited from rheumatology outpatient clinics at two medical centers and one regional hospital from March 2010 to June 2011. Direct medical costs, direct nonmedical costs, and productivity loss due to job loss and sick leave of patients with RA were estimated.
Results:
The mean annual per patient total medical costs were NT$189,593. Drug expense, in outpatient and inpatient, represented more than half of the medical costs. The cost of patients who accepted biologics therapies was significantly higher than the patients who didn’t accept. The mean annual direct nonmedical costs were NT$22,132 per patient. Annual productivity loss due to job loss was NT$263,301 and sick leave were around NT$45,231 per patient.
Conclusion:
In this study, the indirect cost of RA is higher than the direct cost of RA in Taiwan. This result may represent that the government should make efforts not only to improve the treatment and care of RA patients but also to create a supportive and well social welfare environment for RA patients and their family.
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