| Summary: | The increase number of end stage renal failure (ESRD) patients requires for
hemodialysis currently, variations in quality of care and escalation of healthcare cost
become a burden on patients, families and the healthcare system. Thus, there is a need
to conduct a study in order to estimate the real cost of hemodialysis treatment per visit,
their willingness to pay (WTP) and perception towards healthcare services. The study
objectives are; to calculate the treatment cost of hemodialysis treatment at Hospital
USM, to determine patient’s WTP for the treatment, and to assess the factors that
influence patient’s WTP. A cross sectional study was conducted among 37 ESRD
patients who received hemodialysis treatment at Hospital USM, Kelantan, Malaysia during the study period. Participants were selected purposively and a set of self administered questionnaire was used for data collection. While data for costing analysis
was obtained from the Finance Department, Hospital USM that was previously prepared
for the Casemix implementation (in 2012) in Hospital USM. Data was analyzed using
Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software version 20.0, includes linear
regression test and non-parametric (Kruskal Wallis and Mann-Whitney) tests. The
estimated cost of hemodialysis treatment is RM 136.22. The average amount of
patient’s WTP for this treatment is RM 18.78 per visit. Age, education, income and
family size were significantly associated to patient’s WTP. The majority of respondents
(65%) is unwilling to pay for the treatment. However, patients of high education selfbackground
and high monthly income were more willing to pay for hemodialysis treatment compared to the other group. In conclusion, there is a need to look for a standard clinical pathway for the management of ESRD patients. This is important to
provide useful information for decision-makers to ensure effective resources allocation
and the delivery of high-quality care.
|
|---|