Catastrophic health expenditure of Vietnamese patients with gallstone diseases - a case for health insurance policy revaluation.

Purpose: Despite gallstone diseases (GSDs) being a major public health concern with both acute and chronic episodes, none of the studies in Vietnam has been conducted to investigate the household expenditure for the GSD treatment. The objective of this study was to estimate the costs of managing GSD and to explore the prevalence and determinants of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) among Vietnamese patients.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2016 to March 2017 in the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Viet Duc Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Stigma against patients with HIV/AIDS in the rapid expansion of antiretroviral treatment in large drug injection-driven HIV epidemics of Vietnam.

Background: Despite existing efforts to provide antiretroviral treatment (ART) for all HIV-diagnosed people, stigma deprives them of the highest attainable health status and challenges the effectiveness of ART program in Vietnam. This study aimed to assess five dimensions of HIV-related stigma and explore its associated factors among ART patients in a multisite survey. Implications of this study support the development of HIV policies to improve patients' access, utilization, and outcomes of ART program toward the 90-90-90 goal in Vietnam.

Demand and willingness to pay for different treatment and care services among patients with heart diseases in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Introduction: In Vietnam, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are serious health issues, especially in the context of overload central heart hospitals, insufficient primary healthcare, and lack of customer-oriented care and treatment. Attempts to measure demand and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for different CVD treatments and care services have been limited. This study explored the preferences and WTP of patients with heart diseases for different home- and hospital-based services in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Socioeconomic Inequalities in Health-Related Quality of Life among Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases in Vietnam.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the sociodemographic differences in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among Vietnamese patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 600 cardiovascular disease patients (300 inpatients and 300 outpatients) being treated at the Hanoi Heart Hospital was completed between July and December 2016. Data about HRQOL were collected by using the EuroQol-5 Dimensions-5 Levels (EQ-5D-5L) and EuroQOL-visual analogue scale (VAS).

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV/ AIDS patients in the context of early treatment initiation in Vietnam.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the antiretroviral therapy (ART) compliance among patients with HIV/AIDS and its associated factors in the context of universal ART initiation in Vietnam.

Patients And Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in five ART clinics located in three provinces, such as Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, and Lao Cai, from July to September 2017. Overall, adherence to ART in the last month was measured using a 100-point Visual Analog Scale (VAS).

Cost-of-Illness and the Health-Related Quality of Life of Patients in the Dengue Fever Outbreak in Hanoi in 2017.

Dengue fever (DF) outbreaks occur intermittently in Vietnam, and the most recent epidemic happened in 2017. However, attempts to measure the burden of DF in relation to the quality of life and the cost of treatment for patients during an epidemic period are constrained. This study explored the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and the cost of illness among patients with dengue fever in Vietnam.