ArticleTropical medicine & international health : TM & IH2018
The economic burden of epilepsy in Bhutan.
Article in Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Economic burden and cost determinants of epilepsy in Georgia: A longitudinal cost-of-illness study.Epilepsia open · 2026Article
- Composition and influencing factors of hospitalization expenses for epilepsy patients based on path analysis.International journal for equity in health · 2024Article
- A quality of care assessment for women of childbearing potential with epilepsy in Bhutan: An observational study.Epilepsy & behavior : E&B · 2024Observational
- A population-based analysis of the global burden of epilepsy across all age groups (1990-2021): utilizing the Global Burden of Disease 2021 data.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Article
- Epilepsy in Asian countries.Acta epileptologica · 2023Review
- Status of epilepsy in the tropics: An overlooked perspective.Epilepsia open · 2023Review
- Epilepsy-Related Direct Medical and Direct Non-Medical Cost in Adult Patients Living with Epilepsy at a Tertiary Neurology Center in Rwanda.ClinicoEconomics and outcomes research : CEOR · 2023Article
- Cost-effectiveness of perampanel as an adjunctive treatment for uncontrolled focal seizures in pediatric patients: a Chinese perspective.Annals of translational medicine · 2022Article
- Climate change and epilepsy: Insights from clinical and basic science studies.Epilepsy & behavior : E&B · 2021Review
- Cost of Illness of Epilepsy and Associated Factors in Patients Attending Adult Outpatient Department of University of Gondar Referral Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.Risk management and healthcare policy · 2021Article
- Gender and Socioeconomic Disparities in Global Burden of Epilepsy: An Analysis of Time Trends From 1990 to 2017.Frontiers in neurology · 2021Article
- Missed opportunities for epilepsy surgery referrals in Bhutan: A cohort study.Epilepsy research · 2020Article
- Sleep Related Epilepsy and Pharmacotherapy: An Insight.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2018Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveTo assess the economic impact of epilepsy in Bhutan, a lower-middle-income country with a universal health care system, but with limited access to neurological care.
methodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted of patients with epilepsy at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuk National Referral Hospital from January to August 2016. Data were collected on clinical features, cost of care, impact of epilepsy on school or work and household economic status of participants and matched comparisons (a sibling or neighbour from a household without epilepsy).
resultsA total of 172 individuals were included in the study (130 adults and 42 children). One-third of adults and 20 (48%) children had seizures at least once per month. Mean direct out-of-pocket cost for epilepsy care was 6054 Bhutanese Ngultrum (BTN; 91 USD) per year, of which transportation formed the greatest portion (53%). Direct costs of epilepsy were an average of 3.2% of annual household income. Adults missed 6.8 (standard deviation [SD]: 9.0) days of work or school per year on average, and children missed 18.6 (SD: 34.7) days of school. Among adults, 23 (18%) abandoned employment or school because of epilepsy; seven children (18%) stopped school because of epilepsy. Households with a person with epilepsy had a lower monthly per-person income (6434 BTN) than comparison households without epilepsy (8892 BTN; P = 0.027).
conclusionsIn Bhutan, despite universal health care services, households of people with epilepsy face a significant economic burden. With many adults and children unable to attend school or work, epilepsy causes a major disruption to individuals' livelihoods.
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