A cost-of-illness study of 82 Thai adults at two university hospitals estimated direct, non-medical and productivity costs alongside EQ-5D-5L utility. Mean societal cost was US$5,093 per patient-year, with direct medical costs contributing 60% and indirect costs 26%.
Key findings
- Medium-to-high transfusion burden cost US$5,260 versus US$3,841. Outpatient care, transfusion, chelation and presenteeism were key drivers. Mean utility was 0.912, with insurance differences suggesting possible inequity.
Why this matters globally
High-prevalence countries need both healthcare and productivity evidence. Transfusion intensity and chelation are actionable parameters for budget-impact models.
Thai researcher contribution
A four-university Thai network generated real-world societal evidence, with Nilawan Upakdee as corresponding author.
Limitations to consider
The 82-patient two-center sample may have referral bias; some costs rely on recall and a price year. This is not a treatment comparison or cost-effectiveness analysis.