“Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) of the different therapies for the Autistic patients at a tertiary care hospital, in Bengaluru, India.”

Abstract

INTRODUCTION- ASD is more prevalent in high-income countries. The disorder confers a financial burden on the affected families. Thus, this research was conducted to estimate the cost of illness of Autism in India and to estimate the cost-benefit of the therapies used in ASD.

OBJECTIVE-  To compute direct costs, indirect costs, cost of illness, and the cost-benefit ratios.

METHODOLOGY- This study collected data from parents of autistic children aged 2-9 years. A cross-sectional study was conducted for a period of one financial year. An interview-administered tool was used for data collection. The analysis consisted of comparing the cost-benefit of standard therapies (occupational, speech, ABA) with and without probiotics.

RESULT- The benefits were found to be lower in terms of economics for the group where probiotics were added to the standard group of therapies. The financial burden of this illness in India would amount to INR 13,33,512 million.

CONCLUSION- The Burden of disease is high for ASD in India. Although the set of new therapies is costly but it is clinically efficacious and safe. Funds should be re-allocated through various governmental and non-governmental agencies to overcome the financial burden of such families for providing adjunctive new therapies to the patients.