Burden of care for persons with disabilities in Vietnam

Vietnam has more than 6 million persons with disabilities (PWD), or 7.8% of the population. To provide better services for them, it is important to investigate the care they currently receive, and to obtain evidence on the health outcomes from that care. This study aimed to estimate the quality of life and functional status of a group of PWD in Vietnam and the cost of care they receive. This was an analytical study exploring the time and cost of informal care, the cost of illness (prevalence-based, patient perspective), quality of life using EuroQoL and functional status using the Barthel Index. The sample was selected from urban and rural areas of Quang Tri province in Central Vietnam, using systematic random sampling. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews, and in a 1-month diary recorded during July-August 2010 for summer and in December 2010 for winter. The costs are presented in 2010 USD values. The data were analysed by descriptive, univariate and multivariate statistics to summarise and explore the relationships among dependent and independent variables. The study sample included 210 PWD, with an average age of 38 years and duration of disability on average 26 years. The health-related quality of life measured in terms of the health utility score (0 = death, 1 = full health) was on average 0.44 and 0.39 in summer and winter respectively. The total cost of illness per year per case was USD 971 (83% of gross domestic product per capita); explanatory variables were the age of the PWD, receiving community-based rehabilitation, receiving government support and the severity of the disability. This illustrates the importance of services and support for reduction of the economic burden on the family. In conclusion, the results of this study provide information on the burden caused by disabilities in rural and urban households in Vietnam.