Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37931966›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2023

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.

Dufera Rikitu Terefa, Edosa Tesfaye, Belachew Etana Tolessa, Adisu Ewunetu Desisa, Wolkite Olani, Getahun Fetensa, Melese Chego, Eba Abdisa, Ebisa Turi, Tariku Tesfaye Bekuma and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Dufera Rikitu TerefaDepartment of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia duferarikitu24@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0002-7064-7163
Edosa TesfayeDepartment of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia.ORCID 0000-0002-7050-6846
Belachew Etana TolessaDepartment of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia.
Adisu Ewunetu DesisaDepartment of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia.ORCID 0000-0003-4465-6629
Wolkite OlaniDepartment of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia.
Getahun FetensaSchools of Nursing and Midwifery, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia.
Melese ChegoDepartment of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia.
Eba AbdisaSchools of Nursing and Midwifery, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia.
Ebisa TuriDepartment of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia.
Tariku Tesfaye BekumaDepartment of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia.
Motuma GetachewDepartment of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia.
Lensa TesfayeDepartment of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia.
Temesgen TilahunSchool of Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences, Wallaga University, Nekemte, Ethiopia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveGlobally, 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.

methodsAn 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.

resultsA 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.

conclusionThe 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.

Indexed as

COVID-19Chronic DiseaseCross-Sectional StudiesEthiopiaHospitals, PublicHumansPandemicsDecision MakingEPIDEMIOLOGYHealth EquityHealth Services AccessibilityHEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION & MANAGEMENT

Identifiers

PMID37931966
PMCPMC10632867

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.