OBJECTIVETo describe the costs of medical care and utilization of health service of patients with HIV/AIDS.

METHODSPatients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS treated in the Beijing You'an Hospital were interviewed retrospectively during December 1999. Data on demographic characteristics, disease process, and utilization of health service and costs of hospital-based medical care were collected.

RESULTSA total number of 29 patients with HIV/AIDS were interviewed, including 17 (58.62%) asymptomatic HIV infections and 12 AIDS patients. Asymptomatic HIV infections had a mean of 6 outpatient visits, 1.3 hospitalizations and 58.6 inpatient hospital days per person-year. AIDS patients made, on average, 7.8 outpatient visits, 2.1 hospitalizations and 200.2 inpatient hospital days per person-year. The outpatient and inpatient medical costs were 13,729 RMB and 4,745 RMB for asymptomatic HIV infections, and 15,053 RMB and 22,242 RMB for AIDS patients per person-year respectively. For those who took both outpatient and inpatient medical care, the medical care costs, including costs of outpatient care and those of inpatient care, were 16,248 RMB for asymptomatic HIV infections and 36,795 RMB for AIDS patients.

CONCLUSIONDemands for health services and costs for medical care were high among patients with HIV/AIDS. Further study on utilization of health services and cost of medical care for patient with HIV/AIDS in a wider geographic coverage are needed.