The Economic Burden Of Families Of Children With Cerebral Palsy In Malaysia

ABSTRACT

@#The economic burden of children with cerebral palsy exceeds far beyond the needs of typical children leading to physical and mental stress to their parents. The study aims to examine the economic burden of parents of children with cerebral palsy in Malaysia. Calculation is made using a cost of illness approach due to cerebral palsy disorders that includes direct healthcare costs, direct non-healthcare costs, developmental costs and indirect costs. Using convenient sampling method, a total of 74 parents completed questionnaires through online or hard copies. Direct healthcare costs represent the highest cost of RM14, 715.49, followed by the developmental costs of RM10, 146.07, RM2, 674.00 for direct non-healthcare costs and RM2,175.20 for indirect costs. So the total cost of financing for the needs of a child with cerebral palsy is RM29, 710.76 per year. This is a huge and burdensome amount for their parents. The findings of this study may assist policy makers in their planning of effective service provision to suit the needs of parents of children with cerebral palsy in Malaysia.