Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cost of chronic diseases treatment and care at public hospitals in Wallaga zones, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia: a hospital-based, cross-sectional study.

Autor:	Terefa DR; Department of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia duferarikitu24@gmail.com., Tesfaye E; Department of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia., Tolessa BE; Department of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia., Desisa AE; Department of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia., Olani W; Department of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia., Fetensa G; Schools of Nursing and Midwifery, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia., Chego M; Department of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia., Abdisa E; Schools of Nursing and Midwifery, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia., Turi E; Department of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia., Bekuma TT; Department of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia., Getachew M; Department of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia., Tesfaye L; Department of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia., Tilahun T; School of Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	BMJ open [BMJ Open] 2023 Nov 06; Vol. 13 (11), pp. e070195. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Nov 06.
DOI:	10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070195
Abstrakt:	Objective: Globally, around one-third of the population has at least one long-term health condition that could be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the fact that studies have revealed the direct impact of COVID-19 on healthcare provision and utilisation, the impact of the pandemic on the cost of chronic disease treatment and care from a patient perspective was scanty. So, the study aimed to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cost of chronic diseases treatment and care at public hospitals in Wallaga zones, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia, from 1 August to 31 August 2020. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was used, and the sample size for the study (n=642) was determined using a single population mean formula. Data were collected using interviews and analysed using SPSS V.25. Descriptive statistics were performed, and the cost of follow-up care before and after the pandemic was compared using a related-samples Wilcoxon signed-rank test, declaring the level of significance of the median cost difference at p<0.05. Results: A total of 642 patients were included in the study, of whom 605 (94.2%) responded to the interviews. There was a significant median cost difference (n=593, Z=5.05, p=0.001) between the cost of chronic diseases among follow-up patients during the pandemic and the costs incurred by these patients before the pandemic. Conclusion: The cost of follow-up care among chronic disease patients during the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly higher compared with before the pandemic era. Therefore, healthcare providers should arrange special fee waiver mechanisms for chronic disease healthcare costs during such types of pandemics and provide the services at proximal health facilities. Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared. (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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