title: Cost of renal transplant in Belgium.
abstract: The objective of this study was to analyze 1-year direct medical costs of kidney transplantation in Belgium. The analysis included the last 150 patients who received a kidney transplant, were treated with cyclosporine, and had 1 year follow-up data. All patient were adults (>18 years) at the time of transplantation. Patient files were retrospectively analyzed. Key clinical events, such as primary hospitalization for transplantation; immunosuppressive drug use; patient survival; graft survival; acute rejection; CMV infection; adverse events and serious complications; treatment of adverse events; treatment of complications; repeat hospitalization; and follow-up hospital consultations were recorded. Total length of stay in the hospital was also recorded. For each patient, information up to 1 year following renal transplantation (or until death if death occurred before 1 year posttransplantation) was collected. Cost information was obtained from anonymous hospital bills that provided amounts paid by the health care payer and patient. Two perspectives are considered in this study: health care payer (INAMI/RIZIV) perspective and patient perspective. For the whole population (n = 143), 7 patients with graft failure were excluded. The mean direct medical costs from the health care payer's perspective, and patient's perspective were 37,792 Euro, and 2,034 Euro, respectively. During this 1-year period, patients were hospitalized for an average of 29 days. One-year direct medical costs of kidney transplantation are substantial. In Belgium, most of the direct medical costs are borne by the health care payer.
authors.affiliation: Clinique UCL Saint-Luc, Belgium. Djamila.chaibeddour@clin.ucl.ac.be
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chaib-Eddour
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chaib-Eddour
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Malaise
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mourad
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Squifflet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001530:Belgium; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000191:economics; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000191:economics* / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents