AIMS: To characterize variability of rtPA price, its availability, and its association with and impact on each country's health expenditure (HE) resources.
METHODS: We conducted a global survey to obtain information on rtPA price (50 mg vial, 2020 US Dollars) and availability. Country-specific data, including low, lower middle (LMIC), upper middle (UMIC), and high-income country (HIC) classifications, and gross domestic product (GDP) and HE, both nominally and adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP), were obtained from World Bank Open Data. To assess the impact of rtPA cost, we computed the rtPA price as percentage of per capita GDP and HE and examined its association with the country income classification.
RESULTS: rtPA is approved and available in 109 countries. We received surveys from 59 countries: 27 (46%) HIC, 20 (34%) UMIC, and 12 (20%) LMIC. Although HIC have significantly higher per capita GDP and HE compared to UMIC and LMIC (p < 0.0001), the median price of rtPA is non-significantly higher in LMICs (USD 755, interquartile range, IQR (575-1300)) compared to UMICs (USD 544, IQR (400-815)) and HICs (USD 600, IQR (526-1000)). In LMIC, rtPA cost accounts for 217.4% (IQR, 27.1-340.6%) of PPP-adjusted per capita HE, compared to 17.6% (IQR (11.2-28.7%), p < 0.0001) for HICs.
CONCLUSION: We documented significant variability in rtPA availability and price among countries. Relative costs are higher in lower income countries, exceeding the available HE. Concerted efforts to improve rtPA affordability in low-income settings are necessary.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the correlation between HCV Ag and HCV RNA and the cost implications of different diagnostic algorithms to diagnose active HCV infection using Anti-HCV, HCV Ag, and HCV RNA. Pre-dialysis blood was tested for both HCV Ag and HCV RNA. HCV Ag was tested with Abbott ARCHITECT HCV Ag test.
RESULTS: Two-hundred twenty-seven haemodialysis patients were recruited from 20 centres with mean age of 57.68 ± 12.48 years, and male constitutes 56.8% (129) of the study population. HCV Ag correlated well with HCV RNA (Spearman test coefficient 0.943, p Cost analysis indicated that a sequential test involving Anti-HCV antibody as initial screening, followed by HCV Ag on Anti-HCV positive and HCV RNA on HCV Ag negative cases translated to a modest cost-saving algorithm compared to standard diagnostic algorithm.
CONCLUSION: HCV Ag correlated well with HCV RNA and can potentially be fused in an alternative diagnostic algorithm to generate cost savings methods to diagnose active HCV infection among haemodialysis patients. This alternative algorithm is especially relevant in low to middle-income countries such as Malaysia to optimize the use of the healthcare resource and gains in clinical outcomes.
METHODS: A national telephone survey was carried out with 2,512 individuals of the Malaysian public aged 18-60 years old. Individuals were contacted by random digit dialling covering the whole of Malaysia from February 2012 to June 2013.
RESULTS: From 2,512 participants, 6.1 % reported to have heard of the availability of the dengue home test kit and of these, 44.8 % expressed their intention to use the test kit if it was available. Multivariate logistic regressions indicated that participants with primary (OR: 0.65; 95 % CI: 0.43-0.89; p = 0.02, vs. tertiary educational level) and secondary educational levels (OR: 0.73; 95 % CI: 0.57-0.90; p = 0.01, vs. tertiary educational level) were less likely than participants with a tertiary educational level to use a home self-testing dengue kit for dengue if the kit was available. Participants with lower perceived barriers to dengue prevention (level of barriers 0-5) were less likely (OR: 0.67, 95 % CI: 0.53-0.85, p
METHODS: In this descriptive, retrospective study, we selected all prostate biopsies received by the diagnostic pathology department of a tertiary hospital in Malaysia in the year 2020, from adult patients for analysis. Data on demographics, specimen preparation processes, and final histopathological diagnosis was extracted from the Laboratory Information System (LIS). The cost incurred for each biopsy diagnosed as cancer was calculated with the cost prices referenced from laboratory documentation. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, version 28.
RESULTS: The total cost for detection of cancer using TR biopsy ranged from RM11.22 - RM271.02 with mean of RM47.53. The standard deviation, s is RM43.45. For TP biopsies, the total cost ranged from RM112.20 - RM349.56 with mean of RM160.85, standard deviation of RM80.37. TR biopsies had a detection rate of 43.2%, while TP biopsies had a 24.2% cancer detection rate. There is a 3.38-fold increase in costs between TR and TP biopsy.
CONCLUSION: The results show a 3.38-fold increase in costs and a reduction in cancer detection rate when comparing TR and TP biopsy. The reason for the reduced detection rate is unascertained in this study.
METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted using a prevalence-based approach from a societal perspective in Malaysia with a 1 year period from 2013. We used micro-costing technique with bottom-up method and included direct medical cost, direct non-medical cost, and indirect cost. The main data source was medical chart review which was conducted in Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL). The medical charts were identified electronically by matching the unique patient's identification number registered under the National Mental Health Schizophrenia Registry and the list of patients in HKL in 2013. Other data sources were government documents, literatures, and local websites. To ensure robustness of result, probabilistic sensitivity analysis was conducted.
RESULTS: The total estimated number of treated SCZ cases in Malaysia in 2015 was 15,104 with the total economic burden of USD 100 million (M) which was equivalent to 0.04% of the national gross domestic product. On average, the mean cost per patient was USD 6,594. Of the total economic burden of SCZ, 72% was attributed to indirect cost, costing at USD 72M, followed by direct medical cost (26%), costing at USD 26M, and direct non-medical cost (2%), costing at USD 1.7M.
CONCLUSION: This study highlights the magnitude of economic burden of SCZ and informs the policy-makers that there is an inadequate support for SCZ patients. More resources should be allocated to improve the condition of SCZ patients and to reduce the economic burden.