Out of pocket expenditures for outpatient clinics in teaching hospitals

Objective (s): The out of pocket is one of financial resources in health system that might cause severe suffering for many households. The aim of this study was to estimate the out of pocket expenditures for outpatient diagnostic services. This was a cross sectional study of a sample of 800 individuals attending outpatient diagnostic services of teaching hospitals in Quazvin، Iran. Data were collected using structural interviews and existing documents. The percentage of out of pocket expenditures was calculated as follows: the out of pocket expenditures was divided to the total expenditures (the out of pocket + the insurer organization). 76% of the study sample was under insurance coverage and or had the condition of using insurance. There was no significant relationship between the persons’ age and the out of pocket expenditure. There was a meaningful relationship between gender and the out of pocket in laboratory services (P = 0. 03)، and between gender and the imaging services Sina hospital (P = 0. 042). The percentage of out of pocket expenditures for laboratory varied from 41% to 52% in different hospitals and it was 46% in imaging ward of the same hospitals. It seems that the out of pocket expenditures are descending due to increase of insurance.