Bangkok, March 12- Ministry of Public Health . HITAP Research Finds Genetic ES in Pediatric Patients with Treatment-Resistant Epilepsy Helps doctors to diagnose diseases accurately, quickly, less than 50% more than standard methods that can detect clearly and is economically worthwhile. Saving the health insurance budget in the next 5 years, 18-36 million baht, should be included as a benefit in the health insurance system.
Rungruang Kitphati, Chief Advisor at the Ministry Level (Mr. Songwut) and a spokesman for the Ministry of Public Health said that epilepsy does not respond to treatment. It can be found in up to 1 in 3 of all epilepsy patients. The cause is mostly genetic. The diagnosis by standard methods specified in the benefits package of the National Health Security System (Gold Card), such as diagnostic radiography. EEG examination, etc., can help diagnose less than 50% of the disease for sure, making it difficult for doctors to diagnose and delaying the correct treatment of patients. affecting the development and quality of life of children And the family is still worried about having the next child. Exome Sequencing (ES) is currently used to test all genes at once. Therefore, the Health Technology Assessment and Policy Program (HITAP) investigated the cost-effectiveness of ES genetic testing in children with severe epilepsy. By comparing the situation between ES genetic code testing if it is included in the benefits. with standard diagnostic methods They then assessed the five-year fiscal impact and economic viability of using the Decision tree and Markov models to estimate costs and outcomes in terms of health years.
Dr. Rungrueang continued that the results of the research showed that Genetic testing for ES in pediatric patients with unresponsive epilepsy. There is a worthiness criterion of 160,000 baht per health year. And there is an incremental cost of effectiveness of 36,252 baht per health year. Help save the burden of the health insurance system’s budget about 18-36 million baht over the next 5 years from the number of 285-569 patients per year, as a result of detecting the cause of the disease and providing appropriate treatment. Thus, the cost of patient care is reduced. So it’s a worthwhile way. Because it helps doctors diagnose the disease correctly. more fast Reduce unnecessary laboratory tests and provide appropriate treatment for the disease. This may lead to a cure for some patients. Including having a genetics consultation that will help in family planning and prenatal diagnosis in the next pregnancy.
“In the past, the health insurance system in developing countries including Thailand The cost of genetic testing with ES technology has not yet been reimbursed, causing patients to bear their own costs or lose access to services. The results of this study indicated that Such services are appropriate and should be included as benefits in Thailand’s health insurance system,” Dr. Rungruang said. .
Source: Thai News Agency