Brazilian public health system and parkinson's disease: are the resources invested enough to make the treatment viable?

Parkinson's disease (PD) is considered a chronic and degenerative neurological condition that affects mainly elderly individuals, causing significant disabilities and decreased quality of life, the main cause of expenses for the patient, family, caregivers, and the health system. The objective of this study is to estimate the average annual cost per patient who undergoes PD treatment in the Brazilian public health system, and to identify whether the resources made available by public health are significant to make the treatment viable for these patients. The case study, carried out at a university hospital in the city of Niterói (RJ), followed a mixed methods design, with qualitative and quantitative data, obtained through interviews with a sample of 54 patients. The mean annual cost per patient was estimated at US$ 2,904.80 and calculated from the mean and 95% confidence interval obtained. The total cost of treatment would represent 48.51% of the average annual income of the sample, if it were fully financed by the patient, with 23% of this amount falling on the Brazilian public health system. In this case study, it was possible to diagnose that the allocation of resources from the public health system not only includes the main variables of direct cost with the treatment, but also includes the most expensive ones, such as medications and hospitalizations, making the treatment viable for the patient.