A Comparison of Clinic Care and Home Care Regarding Costs of Treatment for Children with Cerebral Palsy

Abstract

Background: The problems associated with cerebral palsy and their socio-economic burden impose a large pressure on families with children suffering from cerebral palsy. This study aimed to compare clinic care and home care regarding costs of treatment for children with cerebral palsy. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 56 children with cerebral palsy. Data were collected by direct costs through medical and non-medical checklists and analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, mean, and standard deviation) and T-test. Results: The cost of home care was less than clinic care (P>0.01). Price differences in home and clinic care was significant in all types of cerebral palsy. In both groups of the children, the highest average fee belonged to those who were not covered by any insurance. The average cost of care in clinic was 8,543,000 Rials while it was 5,497,000 Rials for home care. The average total cost of care was 19,786,000 Rials at home and 27,980,000 Rials at the clinic (P>0.05). Conclusion: The cost of clinic care was higher than home care. Therefore, home care is recommended as the appropriate and more cost-effective strategy for children with cerebral palsy. Considering the Problems of home care, it is essential to facilitate implementation of this strategy by improving insurance coverage and informing families with cerebral palsy children