ArticleHippokratia
Real-life cost of managing chronic HCV infection in Greece prior to Direct-Acting Antivirals (DAAs): an undeniable truth of spending more for less.
Article in Hippokratia. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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0 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeChronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health challenge across the world. Before the introduction of Direct-Acting Antivirals (DAAs), managing and treating the disease and its possible complications (cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma) placed a considerable financial burden on public health resources. This study estimates the financial burden of managing HCV in Greece before the introduction of DAAs. PATIENTS AND
methodsWe reviewed the clinical records of 146 consecutive patients with chronic HCV that were regularly followed-up at two tertiary hospitals in Athens. Public health resources utilization was recorded by category for consultations, hospitalizations, medications [for the pre-DAAs: pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) regimens), and laboratory and imaging tests. Overall disease burden was stratified according to fibrosis stage in four categories [F1-F2, F3-F4, decompensated cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) - liver transplantation (LT)]. All cost calculations were based on current prices in the Greek Public Health System.
resultsThe average cost per patient on treatment was €8,629 for F1-F2 patients, €13,302 for F3-F4 patients, €14,678 for patients with decompensated cirrhosis, and €48,152 for patients with HCC or LT. Main cost drivers were medications (75.6 % of total cost), laboratory and imaging tests (12.4 %) and hospitalizations (11.4 %). Hospitalization cost grew significantly as the disease progressed.
conclusionsChronic hepatitis C places a substantial economic burden on the Greek Public Health System. This burden is expected to increase exponentially as patients move to more advanced disease stages. Robust interventions to deter chronic HCV infection progression should be considered beneficial from a long-term economic perspective. HIPPOKRATIA 2018, 22(3): 127-131.
Indexed as
Identifiers
31641333PMC6801118W2995350611What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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