Out-of-pocket cost for medical care of injured patients presenting to emergency department of national hospital in Tanzania: a prospective cohort study

• Published in: BMJ open Vol. 13; no. 1; p. e063297
• Main Authors: Gulamhussein, Masuma A, Sawe, Hendry Robert, Kilindimo, Said, Mfinanga, Juma A, Mussa, Raya, Hyuha, Gimbo M, Rwegoshora, Shamila, Shayo, Frida, Mdundo, Winnie, Sadiq, Abid M, Weber, Ellen J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England British Medical Journal Publishing Group 31.01.2023; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Publishing Group
• Series: Original research
• Subjects: accident & emergency medicine; Adult; Cohort analysis; Costs; Emergency medical care; Emergency Medicine; Emergency Service, Hospital; Emergency services; Employment; Families & family life; Fees & charges; Female; Health care expenditures; health economics; Health Expenditures; Health insurance; Health services; Hospitals; Humans; Income; Infectious diseases; Informal economy; Injuries; Insurance coverage; Male; Medicine; Orthopedics; Patients; Payments; Population; Poverty; Prospective Studies; Social workers; Socioeconomic factors; Tanzania; Tertiary Care Centers; Trauma; trauma management; Tanzania; United States > US; accident & emergency medicine; trauma management; health economics
• ISSN: 2044-6055; 2044-6055
• DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063297

ObjectiveWe aimed to determine the out-of-pocket (OOP) costs for medical care of injured patients and the proportion of patients encountering catastrophic costs.DesignProspective cohort studySettingEmergency department (ED) of a tertiary-level hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.ParticipantsInjured adult patients seen at the ED of Muhimbili National Hospital from August 2019 to March 2020.MethodsDuring alternating 12-hour shifts, consecutive trauma patients were approached in the ED after stabilisation. A case report form was used to collect social-demographics and patient clinical profile. Total charges billed for ED and in-hospital care and OOP payments were obtained from the hospital billing system. Patients were interviewed by phone to determine the measures they took to pay their bills.Primary outcome measureThe primary outcome was the proportion of patients with catastrophic health expenditure (CHE), using the WHO definition of OOP expenditures ≥40% of monthly income.ResultsWe enrolled 355 trauma patients of whom 51 (14.4%) were insured. The median age was 32 years (IQR 25–40), 238 (83.2%) were male, 162 (56.6%) were married and 87.8% had ≥2 household dependents. The majority 224 (78.3%) had informal employment with a median monthly income of US$86. Overall, 286 (80.6%) had OOP expenses for their care. 95.1% of all patients had an Injury Severity Score <16 among whom OOP payments were US$176.98 (IQR 62.33–311.97). Chest injury and spinal injury incurred the highest OOP payments of US$282.63 (84.71–369.33) and 277.71 (191.02–874.47), respectively. Overall, 85.3% had a CHE. 203 patients (70.9%) were interviewed after discharge. In this group, 13.8% borrowed money from family, and 12.3% sold personal items of value to pay for their hospital bills.ConclusionOOP costs place a significant economic burden on individuals and families. Measures to reduce injury and financial risk are needed in Tanzania.