Measurement of indirect costs in Colombian patients with asthma

Medición de costos indirectos en pacientes colombianos con asma

Objective: measurement of out-of-pocket expenses and indirect costs in a group of Colombian patients of a referral institution.

Materials and methods: 113 patients with asthma were interviewed by telephone in order to obtain resource consumption information on the basis of the aspects described in a previously assessed survey.

Results: out-of-pocket expenses add up to at least 6% of the minimum legal monthly salary, and the indirect costs of patients with asthma are given by leaves from work with a cost of 4,6% of a minimum legal monthly salaray; the cost of accompanying persons is 2,97% of a minimum legal monthly salary, which yields a total of 14,87% of a minimum legal monthly salary in Colombia. 

Conclusions: the indirect costs of asthma are an important burden for the patient and his family. The number of visits to the emergency department during the last year, the duration of hospital stay, the days of leave from work, and the days with limited working capability are similar to those reported in studies carried out in other countries. With regard to out-of-pocket expenses, the payment of healthcare vouchers and transportation costs affected more than 90% of the interviewed patients; additional payment of public services due to oxygen use was mentioned by 56% of the payments, and this last cost is the highest.