[EQ] Diabetes: cost of illness in Norway

Diabetes: cost of illness in Norway

Oddvar Solli1, Trond Jenssen2, 3, Ivar S Kristiansen 1, 4

1Department of Health Management and Health Economics,  Oslo, Norway

2Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

3Institute of Clinical Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Tromsø, Norway

4Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark

BMC Endocrine Disorders - Volume 10

doi:10.1186/1472-6823-10-15 -  September 2010

Available online at: http://bit.ly/blvwVG

 

"….Diabetes mellitus places a considerable burden on patients in terms of morbidity and mortality and on society in terms of costs. Costs related to diabetes are expected to increase due to increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to estimate the health care costs attributable to type 1 and type 2 diabetes in Norway in 2005.

Methods

Data on inpatient hospital services, outpatient clinic visits, physician services, drugs, medical equipment, nutrition guidance, physiotherapy, acupuncture, foot therapy and indirect costs were collected from national registers and responses to a survey of 584 patients with diabetes. The study was performed with a prevalence approach. Uncertainty was explored by means of bootstrapping.

Results

When hospital stays with diabetes as a secondary diagnosis were excluded, the total costs were €293 million, which represents about 1.4% of the total health care expenditure.
Pharmaceuticals accounted for €95 million (32%), disability pensions €48 million (16%), medical devices €40 million (14%) and hospital admissions €21 million (7%).

 

Patient expenditures for acupuncture, physiotherapy and foot therapy were many times higher than expenditure for nutritional guidance. Indirect costs (lost production from job absenteeism) accounted for €70.1 million (24% of the €293 million) and included sick leave (€16.7 million), disability support and disability pensions (€48.2 million) and other indirect costs (€5.3 million). If all diabetes related hospital stays are included (primary- and secondary diagnosis) total costs amounts to €535 million, about 2.6% of the total health care expenditure in Norway.

 

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