Socioeconomic Burden Of Major Rheumatic Diseases In A Tertiary Care Facility

Abstract

Rheumatic diseases can have serious socioeconomic implications in a developing country like Pakistan. With dwindling resources in the healthcare sector, decision makers are forced to prioritize treatment between patients. Objective: To assess the socio-economic burden of major rheumatic diseases in a tertiary care hospital. Methods:171 patients were enrolled in the study prospectively. Patients were selected through specially designed questionnaires. Diagnosis of the disease and patient’s socioeconomic status were recorded and analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. Results: The mean age of the participants was 38.65±13.20 years. A higher ratio of female patients (78.4 %) as compared to the male patients (21.6 %) was seen. The majority of the patients were not well educated as 79 % of the patients were below matric, 9 patients were graduated and only 2 patients were postgraduates. Most of patient fall in low socioeconomic background (30,924.8 ± 19,107.3). Out of all the rheumatic diseases, Rheumatoid Arthritis 96 (56.1 %)was the most commonly found autoimmune disease. Conclusion: Rheumatic disease outcomes in Pakistan are influenced significantly by socioeconomic status. A comprehensive treatment plan for rheumatic disease is needed, especially for those with low education levels and poor quality of life.