Is economic burden still a problem among the patients with tuberculosis - A cost analysis: A descriptive...

There were more than 10 million people infected with TB across the globe. India has the world's largest tuberculosis load, with 2.4 million recorded cases in 2019. Poverty has an inseparable relationship with Tuberculosis. It is an inevitable risk factor, often resulting in delays in seeking treatment, imposing a financial burden on families, and poor compliance with treatment, etc., thereby leading to a very low rate of success in TB treatment. In this context, a study was undertaken among TB patients in Kanchipuram district with the objective of assessing the different costs associated with treatment and other associated issues they face from society as a consequence of the disease.

A descriptive cross sectional descriptive study design was espoused to study among the 312 TB patients registered in the government's RNTCP program. A multi-stage random sampling technique was adopted to recruit and obtain data from them. A Univariate and bivariate analysis were employed to get the mean costs incurred during the pre & post diagnosis TB treatment. A linear regression test was performed to identify the relationship between the variables that influence the economic burden during the treatment process.

The study demonstrates that the total costs sustained by patients during the post-diagnosis phase are astronomical in contrast to the costs spent during the pre-diagnosis phase. The indirect cost in terms of time lost due to hospital visits and medication pickup, as well as inability to work, imposes a significant economic burden on patients and their families.