Costos de bolsillo de pacientes con diagnóstico de tuberculosis en Colombia

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease caused by mycobacteria. According to the World Health Organization, one third of the world's population is infected. The directly observed therapy short course (DOTS) strategy has been used effective for the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of tuberculosis. Objective: To estimate the out-of-pocket costs of TB patients who receive treatment under the DOTS strategy. Design: Descriptive prospective and observational study. Setting: Three cities in Colombia (Medellin, Monteria and Quibdo). Participants: Patients diagnosed with TB. Interventions: An instrument was used that included variables related to direct and indirect out-of-pocket costs. The analysis was done using the SPSS version 17.0 and STATA 11; mean and standard deviation were estimated for quantitative variables, and proportions for qualitative variables. Results: The DOTS strategy was applied in 91 patients. The average age was 39.3 ± 20 years; most patients lived with their families. The monthly income of the patients was 422 863 COP (1? = 3 149 COP) in average and the higher direct costs generated by the treatment were those for traveling and diagnostic aids, with an average cost of 8 181 and 7 630 COP respectively. Conclusions: The costs assumed by patients under the DOTS strategy were high, even when treatment was provided free of charge. The modification of the strategy to avoid costs in patients could decrease treatment dropout.