Economic Burden of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Different Stages of Disease; a Report from Southern Iran

BACKGROUND To estimate the total annual cost due to chronic hepatitis B (CHB)-related diseases imposed on each patient and his/her family in Iran. METHODS Economic burden of CHB-related diseases (CHB, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma) were examined. In this retrospective study, 100 Iranian patients were identified to obtain their socioeconomic status, utilization (direct and indirect costs) and costs of treatment, and work days lost due to illness with a structured questionnaire during 2012. Costs of hospital admissions were extracted from databases of Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz, Iran. The outpatient expenditure per patient was measured through the rate of outpatient visits and average cost per visit reported by the patients, while the inpatient costs were calculated through annual rate of hospital admissions and average expenditure. Self-medication and direct non-medical costs were also reported. The Human Capital Approach was used to measure the work loss cost. RESULTS The total annual cost per patient for CHB, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma were US$ 3094.5, US$17483, and US$ 32958 during 2012, respectively. CONCLUSION CHB-related diseases impose a substantial economic burden on patients, families, and the society. This study provides useful information on cost of treatment and work loss for different disease states, which can be further used in cost-effectiveness evaluations.