Economic burden of hepatitis B patients and its influencing factors in China: a systematic review.

Background & aim: Hepatitis B is globally recognized as a major public health problem that imposes a huge economic burden on society. China is a major country with hepatitis B infection; however, an updated overview of the economic burden of hepatitis B and related diseases in China has not been provided. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the economic burden and factors influencing hepatitis B and related diseases by synthesizing the available evidence, with the aim of informing clinical treatment and health decisions.

Methods: Two researchers systematically searched relevant literature published in PubMed, Web of Science, China Knowledge Network, Wanfang Database, and Vip Database from 2002 to 2022, and conducted title and abstract reviews according to the PRISMA guidelines for the development of nerfing criteria, as well as quality evaluation of the included literature.

Results: Thirty-three studies were included in the literature. The quality of the included literature was average, with the majority being individual studies and a few group studies, which showed that the annual economic burden per capita of hepatitis B-related diseases was 92,978.34 RMB, with a high proportion of direct and hidden costs, and a large disparity in economic burden between related diseases, with the greatest burden for primary hepatocellular carcinoma and the smallest burden for acute hepatitis B. The study found that the main factors affecting the cost of disease were sex, age, occupational classification, place of residence, health insurance conditions, hospital class, length of hospitalization, use of antiviral drugs, comorbidities, and complications.

Conclusion: Hepatitis B has caused a huge economic burden on Chinese society, and hidden costs also respond to a great psychological burden on patients and their families. Based on existing studies, there is an urgent need for high-quality, multicenter, population-level studies to inform clinical treatment and health policy decisions.