EVALUATION OF THE COST OF CARE OF PATIENT S INFECTED WITH HEPATITIS-CVIRUS

Hepatitis C now poses an important problem of public health in France. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cost of care of 55 pa tients who were carriers of hepatitis C and treated with interferon al pha. The economic analysis included the blood testing costs, pharmaceu tical costs and hospitalization costs. A questionnaire permitted the i mpact of the treatment on the socio-professional life of each individu al to be assessed. The global cost amounted to 1155 359 francs spread among hospitalization costs (55 pour cent), pharmaceutical costs (35.8 pour cent) and blood testing costs (9.2 pour cent). Of 36 actively wo rking patients being treated, 10 modified their activities and 4 of th ese 10 restarted their initial activities after stopping treatment. Th is evaluation has shown the disparities which exist in the clinical fo llow up of patients treated for chronic hepatitis C. It is thus impera tive to institute a systematic screening of patients being transfused to permit an early diagnosis, to establish a rigorous standardization of blood testing, to visualise day care treatment and above all to est ablish a consensus of global care of these patients.