ArticleBMC health services research2022
Healthcare resource utilization and direct costs of transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients in Dubai, United Arab Emirates: a retrospective cost-of-illness study.
Article in BMC health services research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed.
- A Scoring System for the Assessment of Quality of Care in the Management of Transfusion Dependent Thalassemia.Hematology reports · 2026Review
- Article
- Direct and indirect medical costs associated with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia in Brazil, Thailand, and India.Therapeutic advances in hematology · 2026Article
- Efficacy and Safety of Thalidomidein Patients with Transfusion-Dependent B-Thalassemia: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis and GRADE Evaluation.Mediterranean journal of hematology and infectious diseases · 2026Review
- The direct costs of transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia in Saudi Arabia: A cost of illness analysis study.Medicine · 2025Article
- Health-related quality of life and economic impacts in adults with transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia: findings from a prospective longitudinal real-world study.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2025Article
- Prevalence and molecular spectrum of thalassemia in infertile population among different ethnic groups in Hainan Province, China.Molecular genetics and genomics : MGG · 2025Article
- Mortality, Clinical Complications, and Healthcare Resource Utilization Associated with Managing Transfusion-Dependent β-Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease with Recurrent Vaso-occlusive Crises in Italy.PharmacoEconomics - open · 2025Article
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- Article
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- Combatting thalassemia in the United Arab Emirates.International health · 2023Article
- Economic burden of adult patients with β-thalassaemia major in mainland China.Orphanet journal of rare diseases · 2023Article
- Differences in medical costs between TCM users and TCM nonusers in inpatients with thalassemia.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- Article
- Economic burden of Thalassemia treatment: An analysis from the Vietnam Social Security perspective.PloS one · 2023Article
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Abstract
backgroundPatients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) require lifelong blood transfusions and iron chelation therapy. Thus, patients afflicted with TDT often have to undergo blood transfusion and iron chelation therapy, which causes a major economic burden on them. However, this topic has not been reported in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Hence, this study aimed to evaluate healthcare resource utilization and associated direct costs related to patients with TDT in Dubai, UAE.
methodsFor this study, a retrospective prevalence-based cost-of-illness analysis based on the UAE healthcare system and patient perspectives was conducted among patients with TDT treated at the Dubai Thalassemia Center in 2019. Information regarding healthcare resource utilization and direct medical costs was collected from the billing system connected to the electronic medical record system. Patients and their families were interviewed for direct non-medical cost estimations.
resultsA total of 255 patients with TDT were included in the study. The mean annual direct medical cost was estimated at AED 131,156 (USD 35,713) (95% CI: 124,735 - 137,578). The main driver of the medical cost for the participants as iron chelation therapy AED 78,372 (95% CI: 72,671 - 84,074) (59.8%), followed by blood transfusions, which accounted for AED 34,223 (95% CI: 32,854 - 35,593) 26.1% of the total direct medical costs. The mean annual direct non-medical costs was AED 2,223 (USD 605) (95% CI: 1,946 - 2,500). Age (p < 0.001), severe serum ferritin levels (p = 0.016), the presence of complications (p < 0.001), and the type of iron chelation therapy (p < 0.001) were significant predictors of higher direct medical costs incurred by the participants.
conclusionTransfusion-dependent thalassemia poses a substantial economic burden on the healthcare system, patients, and their families. Our results show that the highest medical cost proportion was due to iron chelation therapy. In this regard, efforts must be made to improve the patients' acceptance and satisfaction with their iron chelation therapy to increase their compliance and improve the effectiveness of treatment, which could play an essential role in controlling the economic burden of this disease. Moreover, greater support is essential for families that suffer catastrophic out-of-pocket expenses.
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