Background Chronic diseases are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with prevalence rising because of lifestyle factors and increasing life expectancy. In developing countries, including Jordan, these conditions pose growing health and economic burdens. Objective This systematic review assessed available literature on the economic burden of chronic diseases in Jordan. Methods Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched Medline PubMed, Embase, PubMed Central, and Scopus, supplemented by Google/Google Scholar and reference lists, for studies reporting direct medical costs of chronic diseases in Jordan. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened independently by two reviewers. Study characteristics and mean annual per-patient costs were extracted and verified. Costs were standardized to per-patient, per-year estimates in 2025 USD, including outpatient, inpatient, diagnostic, emergency, and medication expenses. The quality of included studies was assessed using the adapted version of Drummond checklist for economic studies. Results Database search identified 147 records. After removal of one duplicate record, 146 records were screened, and 19 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Ultimately, eleven studies were included. They reported costs for cancers, diabetic retinopathy, severe renal disease, thalassaemia, paediatric asthma, and multiple sclerosis, mostly using retrospective designs. Mean annual costs ranged from $35 to $30,567 (2025 USD), and the greatest costs were for end-stage renal disease. Of cancer studied, breast cancer and colorectal cancer were associated with substantial annual direct medical costs, although estimates varied considerably between studies because of differences in disease populations, data sources, and cost methodologies. The mean annual cost for all conditions was $10,035 (2025 USD). When weighted against the sample sizes, the pooled mean cost was $6,914 USD. The overall quality of included studies was judged to be moderate, with most studies clearly defining study populations, disease conditions, and data sources used for cost estimation. Conclusion Chronic kidney disease, breast cancer, and multiple sclerosis imposed substantial medical costs in Jordan. Evidence for other major conditions was limited, highlighting the need for further research to guide health care planning, resource allocation, and cost-effective chronic disease management.

Direct medical costs of chronic diseases in Jordan: a systematic review

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2026年8月5日

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Nadia J. Sweis,
Rachel Caskey

摘要

Background

Chronic diseases are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with prevalence rising because of lifestyle factors and increasing life expectancy. In developing countries, including Jordan, these conditions pose growing health and economic burdens.

Objective

This systematic review assessed available literature on the economic burden of chronic diseases in Jordan.

Methods

Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched Medline PubMed, Embase, PubMed Central, and Scopus, supplemented by Google/Google Scholar and reference lists, for studies reporting direct medical costs of chronic diseases in Jordan. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened independently by two reviewers. Study characteristics and mean annual per-patient costs were extracted and verified. Costs were standardized to per-patient, per-year estimates in 2025 USD, including outpatient, inpatient, diagnostic, emergency, and medication expenses. The quality of included studies was assessed using the adapted version of Drummond checklist for economic studies.

Results

Database search identified 147 records. After removal of one duplicate record, 146 records were screened, and 19 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Ultimately, eleven studies were included. They reported costs for cancers, diabetic retinopathy, severe renal disease, thalassaemia, paediatric asthma, and multiple sclerosis, mostly using retrospective designs. Mean annual costs ranged from $35 to $30,567 (2025 USD), and the greatest costs were for end-stage renal disease. Of cancer studied, breast cancer and colorectal cancer were associated with substantial annual direct medical costs, although estimates varied considerably between studies because of differences in disease populations, data sources, and cost methodologies. The mean annual cost for all conditions was $10,035 (2025 USD). When weighted against the sample sizes, the pooled mean cost was $6,914 USD. The overall quality of included studies was judged to be moderate, with most studies clearly defining study populations, disease conditions, and data sources used for cost estimation.

Conclusion

Chronic kidney disease, breast cancer, and multiple sclerosis imposed substantial medical costs in Jordan. Evidence for other major conditions was limited, highlighting the need for further research to guide health care planning, resource allocation, and cost-effective chronic disease management.