Cost of Illness of Epilepsy and Associated Factors in Patients Attending Adult Outpatient Department of University of Gondar Referral Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy has significant economic implications on health care needs, premature death, and lost work productivity. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the cost of illness of epilepsy and its associated factors in the Outpatient Department of University of Gondar Referral Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: We conducted an institution-based cross-sectional study from March 2018 to April 2018. A total of 442 adult epileptic patients were selected from the chronic follow-up clinic using a systematic sampling technique. We fitted binary logistic regression to identify the associated factors, and significant variables in the multivariable logistic regression analysis were determined using P-value <0.05 and 95% CI. RESULTS: The study revealed that the mean total cost illness of epilepsy per patient per year was US$ 166±61.6, and 30.3% of patients incurred high cost. Age (AOR = 1.06; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.09), sex (AOR = 3.66; 95% CI: 1.94, 6.89), educational (AOR = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.005, 0.047), polytherapy (AOR = 4.66; 95% CI: 2.29, 9.46), seizure frequency (AOR = 4.48; 95% CI: 1.56, 12.8), place where AEDs were bought (AOR = 6.23; 95% CI: 2.7, 14.03) and disease duration (AOR = 0.11; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.25) were predictors of the cost of illness of epilepsy. CONCLUSION: The total annual cost of illness of epilepsy was high, taking into account the per capita income of the individuals. The age, sex, and educational status of the patients, and the number of AED, seizure frequency, places where patients buy drugs, and disease duration were factors significantly associated with the cost of illness of epilepsy. Hence, creating an alternative source of income, socio-economic support, and affordable health care service for patients, especially for female and elderly patients, and strengthening and equipping nearby clinics, increasing drug availability in governmental pharmacies.