Objective: To explore the impact of health management programs on hypertension related to their cost of the hypertensive, so as to provide evidence for related policy-making.
Methods: Data was from the 2011 China Non-communicable and Chronic Disease Survey Project which was developed in 161 counties (districts) and Xinjiang production and Construction Corps. Information regarding hypertensive patients were collected through a questionnaire. Two-part model was used to analyze the influence from health management scheme.
Results: This study included 11 294 participants who were 35 years old or beyond, with 4 904 (43.42%) males and 6 390 (56.58%) females. The median cost from the outpatient was 100 (30-200) Yuan, and the cost of patients under management program were significantly lower than those without (P<0.05). Median pharmacy cost appeared as 30 (15-100) Yuan but there was no significant difference noticed between the cost from the managed or unmanaged patients (P>0.05). Regarding the calculation on the outpatient cost, results showed that the patients under the management program were more likely to practice 'outpatient-medical-behavior' (OR =2.50, 95% CI:2.26-2.76) with nearly three quarters of the cost from the unmanaged patients. Hypertensive patients from the urban areas were more likely to adopt 'medical behavior'(OR=1.31, 95% CI:1.18-1.45) which was 1.69 times of the costs from the rural patients. RESULTS of the pharmacy cost showed that the urban hypertension patients were more likely to purchase medicine (OR=1.10, 95% CI:1.01-1.20) and was 1.19 times the costs of the rural patients.
Conclusion: Health management program on hypertension showed preliminary but promising results in reducing the out-patient cost in the treatment of hypertension,thus should be promoted and implemented.