Background: Haemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) are commonly used treatments for the management of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The costs of managing these patients have grown in recent years with increasing rates of non-communicable diseases, which will adversely impact on national health budgets unless addressed. Currently, there is limited knowledge of the costs of ESRD within the public healthcare system in South Africa.
Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the direct costs of HD and PD in South Africa from a healthcare provider's perspective.
Methods: A prospective, observational study was undertaken at a leading public hospital in South Africa. A micro-costing approach was applied to estimate healthcare costs using 46 adult patients with ESRD who had been receiving HD and PD for at least 3 months.
Results: The highest proportion of patients (35%) were aged 40-50 years. Patients aged 29-39 years were mostly on HD (28% vs. 21% on PD) while those aged 51-59 years mostly used PD (29% vs. 16% on HD). The average age of patients on HD and PD were 41 and 42 years, respectively. Fixed costs were the principal cost driver for HD ($16,231.45) while variable costs were the principal cost driver for PD (US$20,488.79). The annual cost of HD per patient (US$31,993.12) was higher than PD (US$25,282.00 per patient), even though the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.816).
Conclusion: HD costs more than PD from the provider's perspective. These cost estimates may be useful for carrying out future cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses in South Africa.