Cost estimate of chronic hemodialysis in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo: A prospective study in two centers

ABSTRACT Background The number of patients on dialysis has significantly increased worldwide. However, prospective studies estimating the cost of hemodialysis (HD) in sub‐Saharan Africa remain scarce. The present study aimed to evaluate the direct cost of treating end stage renal disease. Determinants of additional direct cost were also assessed. Methods This study is an analytical, prospective study of cost performed at two HD centers in Kinshasa for a period of 3 months among HD patients enrolled consecutively. The cost analyzed includes only expenditures: consultation, HD session, drugs, comorbidities, laboratory tests, and imaging. Transportation, patient hospitalization, and indirect costs are not taken into account. The determinants of the additional direct cost of HD are identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis. P