Costs of managing severe hypoglycaemia in three European countries.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the costs of severe hypoglycaemic events (SHEs) in diabetes patients in Germany, Spain and the UK.


METHODS
Healthcare resource use was measured by surveying 639 patients aged ≥ 16 years, receiving insulin for type 1 (n=319) or type 2 diabetes (n=320), who experienced ≥ 1 SHE in the preceding year. Patients were grouped by location of SHE treatment: group 1, community (family/domestic); group 2, community (healthcare professional); group 3, hospital. Costs were calculated from published unit costs applied to estimated resource use. Costs per SHE were derived from patient numbers per subgroup. Weighted average costs were derived using a prevalence database.


RESULTS
Hospital treatment was a major cost in all countries. In Germany and Spain, costs per SHE for type 1 patients differed from those for type 2 patients in each group. Average SHE treatment costs were higher for patients with type 2 diabetes (Germany, €533; Spain, €691; UK, €537) than type 1 diabetes patients (€441, €577 and €236, respectively). Telephone calls, visits to doctors, blood glucose monitoring and patient education contributed substantially to costs for non-hospitalised patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment of SHEs adds significantly to healthcare costs. Average costs were lower for type 1 than for insulin-treated type 2 diabetes, in all three countries.
Hammer
Mette
M
Novo Nordisk A/S, Krogshøjvej 49, Bagsværd, Denmark. mthm@novonordisk.com
Lammert
Morten
M
Mejías
Susana Monereo
SM
Kern
Werner
W
Frier
Brian M
BM
D003153:Community Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007328:Insulin / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin