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The cost of hemodialysis in Iran

Alireza Arefzadeh1, Mahboub Lessanpezeshki, Sepideh Seifi

  • 1Department of Nephrology, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. alireza.arefzadeh@gmail.com

Saudi Journal of Kidney Diseases and Transplantation : an Official Publication of the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation, Saudi Arabia
|February 25, 2009
PubMed

Insights

The annual cost of hemodialysis (HD) for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients in Iran is approximately $11,549 per person. Major expenses include transportation, staff salaries, and treatment instruments.

Area of Science:

  • Nephrology
  • Health Economics

Background:

  • End-stage renal disease (ESRD) treatment, particularly hemodialysis (HD), is a significant financial burden.
  • Understanding the cost of HD is crucial for resource allocation and healthcare policy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the comprehensive cost of hemodialysis (HD) for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in Iran.

Main Methods:

  • Data collection via interviews and questionnaires from 63 ESRD patients undergoing chronic HD.
  • Analysis of costs including transportation, treatment, drugs, diet, staff, equipment, and building services.
  • Cost estimation per HD session and annually per patient.

Main Results:

  • The estimated cost per HD session was approximately $74 USD, equating to an annual cost of $11,549 per patient.
  • Key cost drivers were transportation and work absences (28.9%), staff costs and salaries (21.5%), and treatment instruments (21.1%).
  • The study included 63 patients (47.7% male, 52.3% female) with a mean age of 47 years.

Conclusions:

  • The annual cost of dialysis in Iran is comparable to other developing nations.
  • Dialysis costs in Iran are substantially lower than in developed countries.
  • Identifying major cost components can inform strategies for optimizing ESRD patient care economics.

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