Table 2.
Types of Costs
| Cost categories | Definition | Direct or indirect | Pre- or post-diagnosis | Number of studies reporting cost category | Range (median) of costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health insurance |
Costs required for national health insurance schemes to finance TB care |
Direct |
Pre-diagnosis |
2 |
I$2- I$3 (I$2) |
| Consultation or prepayment fees |
Costs charged by providers before diagnosis or treatment |
Direct |
Pre-diagnosis |
4 |
I$2- I$7 (I$3) |
| Private provider fees |
Costs charged in the private sector rather than the public sector |
Direct |
Both |
4 |
I$24- I$141 (I$41) |
| Hospitalization |
Costs associated with hospitalization due to TB |
Direct |
Post-diagnosis |
10 |
I$1- I$530 (I$80) |
| Medication |
Costs of medications including standard TB treatment under non-DOTS systems and other drugs |
Direct |
Post-diagnosis |
5 |
I$15- I$548 (I$21)a |
| Diagnostic tests |
Costs for tests other than sputum microscopy such as x-rays, chest radiographs, or other laboratory tests |
Direct |
Pre-diagnosis |
3 |
I$7- I$10 (I$9) |
| Traditional healer |
Costs associated with seeking traditional healers before Western medical care |
Direct |
Pre-diagnosis |
5 |
I$4- I$563 (I$15) |
| Food |
Costs for regular food and food separate from normal diets such as potatoes, eggs, meat, fruit, and soft drinks [58] |
Direct |
Post-diagnosis |
4 |
I$4- I$36 (I$10) |
| Travel |
Costs for travel association with pre-diagnosis, consultation, diagnosis, treatment, pill collection, DOTS and follow-up treatment visits. |
Direct |
Both |
18 |
I$0.17- I$70 (I$5) |
| Time |
Time and indirect costs associated with time spent seeking/receiving care and lost work time |
Indirect |
Both |
21 |
I$0.23- I$412 (I$16)b |
| Caregiver | Costs to those accompanying patients to TB care visits, retrieving medications on their behalf, or cost of care-giving activities. Direct costs encompass travel expenses, food, or other costs such as paying for an overnight stay when making a long journey. Indirect costs include loss of income and time spent accompanying patients or providing care-giving activities. | Both | Both | 8 | I$0.41- I$1,510 (I$11)c |
a Note: Some medication estimates also include the cost of user/consultation fees; b Costs include only reported costs of income lost due to time; c Based on different categories of costs.