Can the Availability of Unrestricted Financial Support Improve the Quality of Care of Thalassemics in a Center with Limited Resources? A Single Center Study from India

Comprehensive management of thalassemia demands a multidisciplinary approach, sufficient financial resources, carefully developed expertise of the care givers, as well as significant compliance on the patients’ part. Studies exploring the utility of unrestricted financing within the existing infrastructure, for the management of thalassemia, particularly in the context of a developing country, are scarce. This study aimed to assess the impact of sponsored comprehensive care compared to the routine care of thalassemics provided at Institute of Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, Kolkata, India. Two hundred and twenty patients were selected for the study and distributed in two arms. Regular monthly follow up was done including a Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) assessment with SF 36 v2 (validated Bengali version). Patients receiving sponsored comprehensive care showed a significant improvement in the mean hemoglobin levels and decrease in mean ferritin. HRQoL assessment revealed a better score in the physical domain though the mental health domain score was not significantly better at nine months. Unrestricted financial support in the form of comprehensive care has a positive impact on the thalassemia patients in a developing country not only in terms of clinical parameters but also in health related quality of life.