Open Peer Review Discuss this article (0) Comments RESEARCH ARTICLE The economic impact of critical congenital heart disease to the health system and families in Colombia [version 1; referees: awaiting peer review] Cindy Lorena Chamorro Velásquez , Nestor Fernando Sandoval Reyes , Alejandra Taborda Restrepo , Sandra Vanessa Romero Ducuara , Maria Teresa Domínguez , Gloria Amparo Troncoso Moreno , Alejandra Fonseca Cuevas , Hernan Camilo Aranguren Bello , Pablo Andres Bermúdez Hernadez , Pablo Sandoval Trujillo , Rodolfo Jose Dennis , Darío Londoño Trujillo 1 Health Public Shaft, Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia Institute of Congenital Heart Disease, Fundacion Cardioinfantil- Institute of Cardiology, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia Research Department, Fundacion Cardioinfantil-Institute of Cardiology, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia Pediatrics Department, Fundacion Cardioinfantil-Institute of Cardiology, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia Abstract Critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) make up a group of Background: heart diseases present in newborns since the prenatal period and requiring early intervention through surgery or percutaneous interventions in the first year of life. Little is known about the societal economic impact associated with their care in low to middle income countries. We estimated direct medical costs, out-of-pocket expenditures and indirect costs of CCHD patients in Colombia. The methodology to estimate costs involved four stages: Methods: identification, measurement, and assessment of resources consumed, and total cost calculation. Regarding medical costs, hospital and ambulatory costs were estimated for the patient’s first year of life using clinical records of 73 patients and with thematic experts. A survey was carried out on 20 children´s caregivers to determine the out-of-pocket expenses and indirect costs. For this estimation, a descriptive analysis was made on the survey taking into account the reported salary. All costs are expressed in US dollars (2017 exchange rates). The average direct medical hospital costs for CCHDs were $25,835 Results: and the ambulatory costs reached $480. Indirect costs were $1,303 and out-of-pocket expenses were $2,058, which for families with an income lower than one monthly minimum wage (1 SMMLV) in 2017 correspond to $250. The impact on their budget was 57%. CCHDs represent an important economic impact both for the Conclusions: 1 2 1 2 3 4 3 3 3 5 3 1 1 2 3 4 5 Referee Status: AWAITING PEER REVIEW 23 Jan 2019, :92 ( First published: 8 ) https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.17631.1 23 Jan 2019, :92 ( Latest published: 8 ) https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.17631.1 v1 Page 1 of 9 F1000Research 2019, 8:92 Last updated: 23 JAN 2019