Direct Health Care Costs of Diabetic Patients in Spain

Abstract

OBJECTIVE -The goal of this study was to estimate the health care resources spent by type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients in Spain during the year 2002. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-This is a cost-of-illness study focusing on direct health care costs estimated from primary and secondary sources of information. A prevalence of diabetes ranging from 5 to 6% of the adult population was determined. Total cost is composed of six items: insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents, other drugs, disposable and consumable goods (glucose test strips, needles, and syringes), hospitalization, primary care visits, and visits to endocrinologists and dialysis.RESULTS -The estimated direct cost of diabetes in 2002 ranges from €2.4 to 2.67 billion. Hospital costs were the most (€933 million), followed by noninsulin, nonhypoglycemic agent drugs (€777-932 million). Much lower are the costs of insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents (€311 million), primary care visits (€181-272 million), specialized visits (€127-145 million), and disposable elements (€70 -81 million). Expenditures for all drugs and consumable goods ranged between €1.16 and 1.3 billion, representing 48 -49% of total cost, which is 15% higher than hospital costs.CONCLUSIONS -The direct health care costs of diabetic patients are high (6.3-7.4% of total National Health System expenditure). Their average annual cost is €1,290 -1,476. For individuals without diabetes, the average annual cost is €865.

Cost-effectiveness and Budget Impact of Obesity Surgery in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in Three European Countries(II)

“…Funding in most hospitals reflects the amount spent within the annual budget plan and is therefore variable with the institution's cost structure. The annual cost of T2DM derived from CODE-2 increased by a compound 3.5% rate is close to amounts reported by other Spanish studies [18].…”

Introduction of IADPSG Criteria for the Screening and Diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Results in Improved Pregnancy Outcomes at a Lower Cost in a Large Cohort of Pregnant Women: The St. Carlos Gestational Diabetes Study

“…The savings in these two areas more than compensate initial increases in expenditures to cover more outpatient visits, SMBG strips, and insulin therapy. Using an estimation of costs applied in other studies in Spain (29,30), we found that V14,358.06 were saved for every 100 pregnant women evaluated, in spite of an increase in the prevalence of GDM of the order of 3.5. Therefore, the change in criteria is clearly cost-effective.…”

“…Between April 2012 and March 2013, 1,526 pregnant women were screened using one-step IADPSGC (median age 32 years [interquartile range [28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]). GDM women were followed according to local guidelines for GDM, with the same capillary blood glucose targets and use of lifestyle management in all cases.…”

The costs of schizophrenia in Spain

“…The usefulness of a cost study consists of indicating the economic impact of a disease in particular by establishing the burden to society associated with the mortality and morbidity of such an illness as well as the resources, whether they are health care resources that are used to mitigate its effects and which could be allocated to alternative goals [35]. There are few studies in the scientific literature addressing the issue of the costs of schizophrenia in Spain [24,41].…”