Multidisciplinary treatment for patients with chronic kidney disease in pre-dialysis minimizes costs: a four-year retrospective cohort analysis

INTRODUCTION: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) can progress to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and clinical studies show that this progression can be slowed. The objective of this study was to estimate the costs to Brazil’s public health system (SUS) throughout the course of CKD in the pre-dialysis stage compared to the costs to the SUS of dialysis treatment (DT). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze clinical and laboratory variables; the outcome analyzed was need for DT. To assess cost, a microcosting survey was conducted according to the Methodological Guidelines for Economic Evaluations in Healthcare and the National Program for Cost Management, both recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health for economic studies. RESULTS: A total of 5,689 patients were followed between 2011 and 2014, and 537 met the inclusion criteria. Average costs increased substantially as the disease progressed. The average cost incurred in stage G1 in Brazilian reals was R$ 7,110.78, (US$1,832.06) and in stage G5, it was R$ 26,814.08 (US$6,908.53), accumulated over the four years. CONCLUSION: A pre-dialysis care program may reduce by R$ 33,023.12 ± 1,676.80 (US$ 8,508.26 ± 432.02) the average cost for each year of DT avoided, which is sufficient to cover the program’s operation, minimizing cost. These results signal to public health policy makers the real possibility of achieving significant cost reduction in the medium term for CKD care (4 years), to a program that disbursed R$ 24 billion (US$ 6.8 billion) for DT in Brazil between 2009 and 2018.