Objective: To identify direct and indirect non-medical costs in a population of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) receiving treatment in Brazil. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we obtained the costs through an interview with a population of patients with POAG at a glaucoma referral clinic in the city of Juiz de Fora – MG. In order to assess the direct non-medical costs, we investigated the following variables transportation expenses, lodging expenses, food and companion expenses for each visit. In […]

Objective: To determine the most cost-effective strategy for the treatment of early-stage primary open-angle glaucoma, by comparing the following alternatives: observation, medical therapy or laser treatment. Methods: Using a Markov model, from the perspective of the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS) and a horizon of the average life expectancy of the Brazilian population, we compared the incremental cost-utility ratio (ICUR) among the three treatment alternatives, as well as their costs and the gain in quality of life as measured in […]