[Analysis of medical care costs for gastroenterological inpatients with alcohol-related disease].
Current estimates suggest that approximately 2.3-2.5 million people in Japan are alcoholics. Of these patients, less than 1% visit alcohol outpatient clinics; most patients visit general clinics. Alcohol is associated with disorders of the gastrointestinal system, circulatory system, nervous system, and other organs. The costs for medical care impose a heavy burden on healthcare financing. Among all, the costs for alcohol-related gastrointestinal diseases are enormous. Reports show that the percentages of medical care costs for alcohol-related gastrointestinal diseases is as high as about 29% of the costs for all gastrointestinal diseases. Our analysis has found that hospital and treatment costs for alcohol-related liver and pancreatic diseases amounted to 35.2% of the costs for all liver and pancreatic diseases. Furthermore, results indicated that the average daily hospital and treatment costs for patients with alcohol-related liver diseases were significantly higher than the costs for patients with non-alcohol-related liver diseases. To reduce medical care costs for alcohol-related diseases, not only treatment of such diseases but also preventive care for pre-alcoholics is crucial. In this context, close contact between general clinics and alcohol outpatient clinics are important, and a network system of support for patients with alcohol-related diseases should be established.
Watanabe
Mitsuyuki
M
Tokai Univ. Hachioji Hospital, Department of Gastroenterology, Ishikawa-cho, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0032, Japan.
Saito
Tetsurou
T
Ogasawara
Fusao
F
Shiraishi
Kouichi
K
Matsuzaki
Shouhei
S
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications*; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*