Economic burden of cancer and payment coping mechanisms among cancer patients at a tertiary health institution, in Benin City, Edo State

Abstract

This study elicits the economic burden of cancer and payment coping mechanism among cancer patients receiving treatment in University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City Edo state. It adopted a descriptive cross sectional surveydesign and convenient sampling technique was used to select one hundred and sixty four (164)into the study. A well structured questionnaire was with a reliability of 0.85 using Spearman-Brown coefficient. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (Analysis of Variance with Scheffe post hoc, Chi-square test, were used to test hypothesis stated at 5% level of significance. The result from the study shows that that the mean direct cost spent to run all the test before they were diagnosed of cancer was N464,982 and the mean direct cost spent in a month to manage the cancer was N159,276 (442.4 USD)145,845. The indirect cost was N2471040 (USD6864) monthly. Furthermore, study reveals that out of pocket payment was the means used by the respondents in footing their bills. Source of payment reported in this present study include borrowed money/loan, sale of household mobile assets, sale of lands, community based support, gift from friends and neighbors, temporary stoppage of children’s education, however majority reported a family member as the main benefactor. The study revealed that 68(41.5%) of the respondents are in the low socio-economic class, 28(17.1%) are in the middle socio-economic class, while the remaining 68(41.5%) are in the high socio-economic class.It is advocated that government should make available cancer diagnostic equipment, radiotherapy equipment, drugs and medical expert in oncology; this will help reduce the both direct and indirect cost of cancer treatment in Nigeria.

Keywords: Cancer, direct cost, indirect cost, Payment Coping Mechanism