Study On The Direct Economic Burden With Lung Cancer And Its Influencing Factors

BackgroundLung cancer has become one of the main causes of serious threat to human life and health. About1.3million people were diagnosed with lung cancer in the world each year and about1.2million people die from lung cancer. The study of disease burden is main basis to develop national health economic policy and disease prevention strategies, and play an important role for the efficient allocation of limited health resources. The economic burden of disease include direct economic burden and indirect economic burden and the direct economic burden reflect medical resources used in the course of treatment. In the study of economic burden, the direct medical expenses are most easily to be learned as explicit costs. On the premise of ensuring medical quality, the main point of physician-patient mutual concern is that how to reduce the burden of disease and to find main factors affecting the disease burden, reasonable control of lung cancer patients’hospitalization expenses of patients, hospitals and medical insurance institution is of great importance.ObjectiveThis research analyzed the inpatient costs with lung cancer, using questionnaire and interview method obtained a part of the hospitalized patients direct non-medical costs during the study period, combining with the conditions of direct medical costs to estimate direct economic burden of patients. Through this study we hope to analyze comprehensively and evaluate direct disease burden with lung cancer, and to find existed problems and main factors affected direct the disease burden and provide positive Suggestions to strengthen the management of hospital medical costs, medical insurance department of health services management, to make cost control measures, rational utilization of the limited medical expenses.MethodsBased data for the survey was inpatient medical record of lung cancer patient in Shandong tumor hospital between September2011and October2011.2236cases of patient data to get a more detailed survey results will be included in the sample after reasonable striking out all analysis. Through questionnaires and interview to obtain the patient direct medical costs, including transportation costs, meals these payments, accommodation, escort fees, a total of220questionnaires were issued and168questionnaires were recovered qualified and all included in this study. The survey content involves patients basic information, patient treatment information, patients hospitalization cost information and direct non-medical costs of patients during in hospital. Using SPSS16.0statistical analysis software conduct statistical description of the research indicators, statistical description of single factor analysis, stepwise regression method for multivariate analysis.Results(l)Patients with lung cancer are mainly focused on the50years of age or older and a malignant tumor is the most important cause of working age population. Therefore, malignant tumor prevention and treatment play important role for productivity protection.(2) Because of the different ways of treatment, the number of days in hospital is not normally distributed.(3) Advantaged patients Significantly more than early patients and III or IV stage patients accounted for78.6%of the total number.(4)In terms of lung cancer patient costs, the western medicine expenses account for more than40%and also the accurate radiotherapy treatment cost is higher. Therefore, controlling hospitalization expenses is the key to reduce the direct economic burden.(5) The effect of the days of hospitalization and the clinical stage to the hospitalization costs has statistically significant by multiple regression analysis (P <0.05).(6) The influence of the occupation and the way of health care to the direct economic burden of lung cancer patients has statistically significance through multiple regression analysis (P<0.05). Conclusions(1)Further to improve the proportion of medical insurance compensation and to modify medical insurance compensation scheme.(2) Strengthening hospital management, standardizing the diagnosis and treatment, to shorten the average length of stay, and to adjust the structure of hospital costs, reducing the cost of patient.(3) Implementation of tertiary prevention, strengthening publicity and education of lung cancer, and early detection and treatment.(4) To increase the assistance efforts of lung cancer patients in rural areas and to reduce the burden of disease.(5) Controlling environmental pollution and reducing the incidence of lung cancer from the roots, thus reduce the direct economic burden of patients with lung cancer.