Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Differences in Indian healthcare #1

They discuss costs up front:
When there are multiple options of care available, ie two different chemotherapies that are similar in efficacy but not in cost, the doctor gives the patient the choice according to the cost of the care. This is termed comparative effectiveness in America, and Obama was called both a nazi and a communist for proposing it.
-10000 Rs for a course of palliative chemotherapy (200 dollars). They make a point of mentioning to these patients with end stage disease, most of whom have traveled hundreds of miles to reach vellore, that they would be better off going back home and receiving palliative care there, where the cost might be significantly less, as the price quoted above does not include food and lodging for their family, nor does it cover the cost of potential complications
-77 Rs for a consultation with the oncologist (1.5 dollars!)
-2200 Rs for an MRI: not sure this is the CMC rate, I saw it on a billboard in town.

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