Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease in Thailand: cost, utility and policy implications for universal health coverage.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive, disabling neurodegenerative disorder. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery is a highly effective and beneficial therapy for advanced PD, but its substantial cost limits accessibility. This study aimed to evaluate the cost-utility and budget impact of rechargeable and non-rechargeable DBS compared with standard pharmacotherapy alone in patients with advanced PD.

Methods

We conducted a cost-utility analysis using a Markov model with a 6-month cycle length and a 20-year time horizon. Costs were valued in 2025 Thai Baht, and both costs and outcomes were discounted at 3% per year. The model consisted of six health states based on the Modified Hoehn & Yahr scale. The primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectivene

SUBMITTER: Aungsumart S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12820826 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature