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© 2019 Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See:  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ . Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Background

Integrated clinical strategies to address non-communicable disease (NCDs) in sub-Saharan Africa have largely been directed to prevention and treatment of common conditions at primary health centres. This study examines the cost of organising integrated nurse-driven, physician-supervised chronic care for more severe NCDs at an outpatient specialty clinic associated with a district hospital in rural Rwanda. Conditions addressed included type 1 and type 2 diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, heart failure and rheumatic heart disease.

Methods

A retrospective costing analysis was conducted from the facility perspective using data from administrative sources and the electronic medical record systems of Butaro District Hospital in rural Rwanda. We determined initial start-up and annual operating financial cost of the Butaro district advanced NCD clinic for the fiscal year 2013–2014. Per-patient annual cost by disease category was determined.

Results

A total of US$47 976 in fixed start-up costs was necessary to establish a new advanced NCD clinic serving a population of approximately 300 000 people (US$0.16 per capita). The additional annual operating cost for this clinic was US$68 975 (US$0.23 per capita) to manage a 632-patient cohort and provide training, supervision and mentorship to primary health centres. Labour comprised 54% of total cost, followed by medications at 17%. Diabetes mellitus had the highest annual cost per patient (US$151), followed by heart failure (US$104), driven primarily by medication therapy and laboratory testing.

Conclusions

This is the first study to evaluate the costs of integrated, decentralised chronic care for some severe NCDs in rural sub-Saharan Africa. The findings show that these services may be affordable to governments even in the most constrained health systems.

Details

Title
Cost of integrated chronic care for severe non-communicable diseases at district hospitals in rural Rwanda
Author
Eberly, Lauren Anne 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Rusangwa, Christian 2 ; Ng'ang'a, Loise 2 ; Neal, Claire C 3 ; Mukundiyukuri, Jean Paul 2 ; Mpanusingo, Egide 2 ; Mungunga, Jean Claude 4 ; Habineza, Hamissy 2 ; Anderson, Todd 2 ; Gedeon Ngoga 2 ; Dusabeyezu, Symaque 2 ; Kwan, Gene 5 ; Bavuma, Charlotte 6 ; Rusingiza, Emmanual 7 ; Mutabazi, Francis 2 ; Mucumbitsi, Joseph 8 ; Gahamanyi, Cyprien 2 ; Cadet Mutumbira 2 ; Park, Paul H 9 ; Mpunga, Tharcisse 10 ; Bukhman, Gene 11 

 Department of Medicine, Division of Global Health Equity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA 
 Inshuti Mu Buzima, Partners In Health – Rwanda, Rwinkwavu, Rwanda 
 Organizational Transformational Initiatives, Greenville, South Carolina, USA 
 Partners In Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA 
 Department of Medicine, Section of Cardiology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Program in Global NCDs and Social Change, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA 
 Inshuti Mu Buzima, Partners In Health – Rwanda, Rwinkwavu, Rwanda; Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology Unit, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda 
 Inshuti Mu Buzima, Partners In Health – Rwanda, Rwinkwavu, Rwanda; Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Cardiology Unit, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda 
 Department of Paediatrics, King Faisal Hospital, Kigali, Rwanda 
 Partners In Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Program in Global NCDs and Social Change, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA 
10  Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda 
11  Department of Medicine, Division of Global Health Equity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Partners In Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Program in Global NCDs and Social Change, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA 
First page
e001449
Section
Research
Publication year
2019
Publication date
Jun 2019
Publisher
BMJ Publishing Group LTD
e-ISSN
20597908
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2551737374
Copyright
© 2019 Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See:  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ . Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.