Measuring Health-Related Quality of Life among Drug Users: Lessons Learned from Indonesia

Presenter: Kurnia Sari, University of Indonesia

Abstract

Introduction. Illicit drug users are often not aware of their poor health condition, unless they have medical check-up and or laboratory examination. They still prefer spending their money for illicit drugs than spending it for rehabilitation or treatment. By consuming it, they feel stronger and healthy. This encourages us to measure health-related quality of life in a costing study among drug users to estimate economic loss due to drug abuse. We are piloting the instrument based on EQ-5D and health state index variables which were modified into Indonesia context.

Objective. Apply health-related quality of life measurement among illicit drug users.

Method. A cross-sectional design was applied in collecting data among illicit drug users using structured instruments in 17 provinces in Indonesia. Sample size in each province is 130 respondents. Sampling method adopted Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS) technique. The first wave entry consisted of 3 informants (students/college student, worker, and unemployed) and the next waves interviewed maximum of 2 informants outside the group based on recommendation from informants that had been interviewed. This method was continued until it fulfilled the required sample size.

Result. There were 2,194 respondents from 17 provinces. In general, they faced difficulty in comparing their health condition before and after consuming illicit drugs. This is even hard for those that had been consuming the drugs for years. They feel that they have no problem with their health condition. In fact, using symptom approach instrument, it revealed that about 33% respondents showed AIDS symptoms, 37% Hepatitis-C, and 34% TB. We also piloted the instruments among PLWA patients due to injecting drug use transmission who were about to go home from hospital. They could compare their health condition immediately since their tended to compare it with health condition just before being hospitalized.

Conclusion. Health related quality of life measurement among drug users is possible to be implemented, but using clear time horizon for comparing health condition. The most important one is that the interview should take place when the respondents are not in ‘fly’ condition.