Abstract
Background and Aims
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is the 12th leading cause of death worldwide and a high societal burden. Cost-of-illness studies of CKD are scarce in developing countries. Identifying factors associated with the highest cost can help decision makers adapt health policies and sustain kidney health services, especially in limited resources' settings. This study aims to estimate the cost of illness of CKD in Lebanon, from the early stages of CKD until dialysis and kidney transplant and identify cost components related to the highest financial burden.
Method
This is a cross-sectional study of all CKD patients who presented to two nephrology clinics during the first two weeks of November 2020. The sample size required for the study to be representative was 154 patients. The medical and administrative records were reviewed to collect the demographics and CKD characteristics of patients as well as the direct medical costs (medications, diagnostic tests, hospitalizations, inpatient care, outpatient care), direct non-medical costs (transportation) and indirect costs (productivity losses) for one year between 1st June 2019 and 1st June 2020. Kruskal Wallis test was used to compare the costs between different CKD stages and categories. The study got the approval of the ethics committee of Saint-Joseph University.
Results
The sample included a total of 160 patients: 102 non-dialysis CKD patients, 40 hemodialysis, 8 peritoneal dialysis and 10 kidney transplant patients. Their mean age was 66.74 ±15.36 years, 57.5% were males and 42.5% diabetics. The mean number of daily medications was 8.75 ±3.38, mean frequency of blood tests per year 6.86 ±6.4 and mean number of hospital admissions per year 0.79 ±1.43. The mean total annual cost of CKD per patient across all categories was assessed at 19,900,164 ±27,893,591 Lebanese Pounds (1 $USD= 1515 LP in 2019). Statistical analysis showed a higher total cost among dialysis patients compared to other categories of CKD (p<0.001), higher cost of medications in transplant patients (p<0.001) and higher cost of technique modality in peritoneal dialysis patients (p<0.001). These differences are summarized in Figure 1.
Conclusion
Similar to previous studies from other countries, this cost of illness analysis showed a high burden of dialysis annual costs compared to non-dialysis CKD and transplant patients. It revealed as well a great burden of medications' costs at the level of dialysis and transplantation. It is thus crucial that governments and health policies in low- and middle-income countries target interventions that prevent end-stage kidney disease, reduce medications' costs and most of all create programs that encourage kidney transplantation.
Quality of life and spirituality of patients with chronic kidney disease: pre- and post-transplant analysis