Assessment of cost of illness and quality of life in chronic rhinosinusitis patients with surgical treatment.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a popular and tiring disease with significant impacts on the economy and on the Health-related Quality of Life (HRQOL) of patients. This study aims to estimate the cost of illness (COI) and to assess the Health-related Quality of Life (HRQOL) in patients with CRS who underwent surgery in Vietnam and to analyse the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and the COI as well as the HRQOL. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Ear, Nose, Throat Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City (ENT Hospital HCMC), Vietnam between August and October 2018. The direct medical and non-medical costs, the indirect costs (productivity loss), and the HRQOL of patients with CRS were measured. A subjective assessment of quality of life (QOL) using EuroQol 5 Dimensions 5 Levels (EQ-5D-5L) was used to evaluate the health status of these patients after surgery. Characteristics related with the COI and the HRQOL were identified by multiple regression. RESULTS: A total of 264 inpatients with CRS participated in the study. The mean COI for inpatients with CRS was $812.83 and direct costs accounted for a major proportion (89.32%) of the total cost. In addition, the surgery represented the most significant direct medical cost with 58.57% of the total cost. Most of the patients reported no problems with mobility (89.1%), self-care (93.9%), usual activities (77.2%), and anxiety/depression (64.0%). The mean EQ-5D-5L utility score was 0.76 (SD = 0.17), and the mean Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS) score was 76.57 (SD = 13.34). The results of multiple regression showed that gender, occupations, monthly income, prior surgery and family history of CRS affected the total cost while the HRQOL of patients were related to education, smoking behaviour, exercise behaviour and family history of CRS. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that although endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) accounted for the largest expense in the COI, this surgical treatment helped to improve the HRQOL in patients with CRS. The findings provided a reference for policy makers in CRS management as well as for adjustment of costs for patients so as to reduce disease burden and to enhance their QOL.

Economic burden of eczema in a middle-income country: A public hospital-based retrospective study in 2016-2017 in Vietnam.

OBJECTIVES: Eczema, which is synonymous with atopic eczema, is classified as a complex, chronic, and relapsing inflammatory skin condition, affecting both adults and children. However, there has not been any research into health-care expenditure to evaluate the medical cost of eczema from patients' perspective in Vietnam. This retrospective study aimed to fill in the gap concerning the medical cost of eczema treatment from patients' perspective. METHODS: Data from Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Dermato Venereology's electronic medical database on demographics and drug therapy from June 2016 to May 2017 were collected. The patients who met the study's criteria were included in the study and were then categorized as mild, moderate, and severe according to received treatment level. Bootstrapping methods were used to evaluate average and emphasized the difference of cost burden adjusted by factors. RESULTS: A total of 6,212 patients (52.1% women and 85% urban residents) participated in the study; they were divided into three groups according to treatment stage: mild (n = 3,159, 50.9%), moderate (n = 599, 9.6%), and severe (n = 2,454, 39.5%). The evaluated total cost for the three groups was 5,255.82, 1,064.03, and 5,8154.60 US dollars, respectively; the average expenditure per patient per year was around $12.11 ($11.63-12.59). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that the estimated direct medical cost of eczema treatment was much lower than that in the Western countries, mostly because of insurance coverage. The findings provide useful insights into health economic evaluations and treatment costs of eczema in Vietnam.

Job satisfaction of clinical pharmacists and clinical pharmacy activities implemented at Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in Vietnam pioneered the practice of clinical pharmacy; however, hospitals in HCMC have faced numerous challenges that might influence the job satisfaction of clinical pharmacists (CPs). Additionally, there have been no official statistics about clinical pharmacy activities that have been reported so far. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the current status of the clinical pharmacy profession and to analyze the key factors affecting job satisfaction of CPs in HCMC. This was a cross-sectional study. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to all the CPs in all the 128 hospitals in HCMC via an online survey tool from May to June 2020. Only about 30% of the respondents were full-time CPs. The percentage of CPs participating in clinical wards was relatively low (52.79%). "Provide drug information for patients and medical employees" was the most common clinical pharmacy activity, with the percentage of CPs participating in it being nearly 90%. Overall, 74.1% of the 197 CPs surveyed were satisfied with their current job. The factors that they were satisfied with the most and the least were "Inter & Intra professional relationships" (95.9%) and "Income" (59.9%), respectively. The only demographic and work-related characteristic that had a statistically significant association with overall job satisfaction was "Ward round participation". Most clinical pharmacy tasks noted a high rate of participation from the CPs. Nevertheless, hospitals in HCMC was found to be experiencing a shortage of CPs and low levels of participation of CPs in ward rounds, and most CPs were unable to completely focus on clinical pharmacy tasks. Regarding CPs' job satisfaction-related aspects, income and ward round participation appear to be the two factors that should be increased, in order to enhance CPs' job satisfaction.

Assessment of Job Stress of Clinical Pharmacists in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objectives: The official implementation of clinical pharmacy in Vietnam has arrived relatively late, resulting in various stressors. This study aims to evaluate job stress level and suggest viable solutions. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on clinical pharmacists (CPs) in 128 hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). Job stress questions were derived from the Healthcare Profession Stress Inventory (HPSI). Results: A total of 197 CPs participated, giving a response rate of 82.4%. Participants were found to have moderate job stress with an overall mean stress score of 1.5 (0.4) and stress rate of 52.8%. The sample size was statistically adequate and the HPSI was valid and reliable. Patient care responsibility was the main stressor, especially in public hospitals, followed by job conflicts. Lack of experience, low income, and inability to participate in clinical ward rounds caused significant stress to CPs regarding job recognition and job uncertainty. More practice-oriented training programs in bachelor curricula and clinical practice should be applied to help CPs gain more experience, self-confidence, and diminish job stress. Conclusion: CPs in HCMC have moderate stress. More practice-oriented training programs should be prioritized to lessen stress for CPs.

Economic report on the cost of dengue fever in Vietnam: case of a provincial hospital.

BACKGROUND: Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral illness with the world's fastest rate of infection. In 2014, Vietnam had recorded 43,000 cases in 53 provinces, with 28 deaths. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 6-month cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2015 to March 2016 at Cu Chi General Hospital. Cost of illness in this study was estimated under the incidence-based approach from the societal perspective. RESULTS: The average cost per case was US$139.3±$61.7. The average cost per child was higher than per adult, but not significant ($151.0±$63.5 and $132.7±$59.9, respectively; P=0.068). Meanwhile, 50.2% of the total cost was contributed by the cost of hospital bed. According to the sensitivity analysis, if both the costs of the hospital bed and ultrasound were reduced by 10%, the total treatment cost of dengue fever would fall by 5% and 1.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study is expected to be the basis for investment-plan formulation and fund allocation for the treatment and prevention of dengue. In an attempt to examine the entire socioeconomic encumbrance caused by the dengue virus, a larger scale study targeting both dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever needs to be conducted in several hospitals.