Hemodialysis cost in Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the health service cost of hemodialysis (HD) delivered at hospitals in Iran as a developing country with a well-defined program of renal replacement therapy. A cost analysis was performed from the viewpoint of the 2 hospitals, with 3 shifts and full chairs, on current practice for dialysis maintenance. Cost and patient data were collected in 2006 and from April 1 to May 31, 2007, respectively. A total of 22,464 HD sessions were performed and 247 patients were studied during the study period. The reference year for the value of USD for different mentioned costs was 2006. Health care sector costs associated with each HD session were estimated at US$78.87. Most of the total maintenance expenditure was made up of medical supplies (36.19%), with dialyzers as the major cost driver. Staff salaries represented 17% of the cost and fixed direct capital costs accounted for 21.4%. Of the family members, 32.4% accompanied their patients. The mean cost for transportation of patients and accompanied person was US$3.15 +/- 2.83 and US$1.5 +/- 0.29, respectively. These findings are important in the light of limited available resources coupled with the increasing prevalence of kidney failure. A major attempt should also be made to increase peritoneal dialysis coverage as in some centers we cannot keep all chairs full, especially in some vast areas. It is highly recommended to place initial focus on strategies and treatments that slow disease progression, to postpone renal replacement therapy to save resources.

Screening for Decreased Renal Function in Taxi Drivers in Tehran, Iran

“…As each month's postponement for dialysis with sooner intervention can save at least 1025.31 US$ in Iran, [6] case finding in a high-risk group (see Table 2) is more rewarding than in the general population.…”

“…[1][2][3][4] The other side of the coin is the fact that, by 2030, more than 70% of patients with ESRD will be estimated to be residents of developing countries, the combined economies of which will account for <15% of the whole world economy. [2,5,6] The wise saying "prevention is better than cure" now is more true than ever for ESRD. [5,7] Screening and early treatment have been recommended by some to slow or prevent progression to a more expensive and disabling stage of the disease.…”

“…However, increases in the facilities of RRT modalities cannot keep pace with the increasing number of patients. [6,17,18] The general objective of this survey was to determine the prevalence of low GFR and identify the correlated risk factors by screening a large population with relatively low-cost tests to analyze the present situation in Tehran, Iran. The expectation was that this may help identify patients at risk for developing renal diseases and direct decision-makers to those who can best take advantage of screening tests in any national prevention strategy.…”

The outcomes of stress exposure in hemodialysis patients

“…End-stage renal failure (ESRD) is one of the major health problems in kidney patients (1). The incidence of ESRD increased from 238 cases in 2000 to 357 cases per 1 million people in 2006 in Iran (2). Hemodialysis is the common treatment for ESRD.…”

Assessment the Levels of Knowledge and Awareness about Organ and Tissue Donation among The Staff of Ministry of Health Ordu University Training and Research Hospital

“…The last amendments were enacted, and became effective with the publication Republic of Iran to prevent organ donation for financial profit, and preclude organ, and tissue transplantation tourism [13].…”