title: Economic burden of diabetes in urban indians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To find out the average economic burden of medical care on a patient with diabetes in Pune, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  A semi-open ended questionnaire followed by interview was conducted with patients attending diabetes and ophthalmic out-patient departments. They were asked regarding the duration of diabetes, methods undertaken for blood sugar control and the amount they spend on consultations, laboratory tests, medicines and procedures if any within past year. Expenditure was classified as direct cost (cost of medicines, doctor's fees, investigations, lasers and surgery) and indirect cost (travel, diet control, health classes and loss of wages). Data was collected regarding the socioeconomic status according to Kuppaswamy classification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  219 patients participated of whom 129 were males (58.9%). Average annual direct cost of diabetes treatment was Rs 8,822 of which 52.1% was spend on medicines, 3.2% was spend on lasers, 12.6% was spend on surgical procedures, 11.6% spent on investigations and 10.4% was spend on clinician fees. Average annual indirect cost was Rs. 3949 of which 3.4% was spend on travelling purpose, 0.4% was spent on health classes, 4.9% was spent on diet control and 91.3% was loss of wages. Average expenditure done by lower middle class was 23.7% of their income. Average percentage of income for direct and indirect cost was 3.6% and 1.4% respectively. The cost of the treatment formed1.3% of the annual income for those in Socio-economic class I, 1.7% in class II, 3.7% in class III and 23.7% in class IV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cost of managing diabetes was a significant proportion of the patients' income, especially for those on lower socio-economic scale (class IV).
authors: Bharti Vidyapeeth Medical College, School of Optometry, Pune, India ; Community Eye Care Foundation, Dr. Gogate's Eye Clinic, Pune, India ; West Bengal University Of Technology (Optometry Colleges), Kolkatta, Paschimbaga, India.
authors: Pablo
authors: P
authors: Chandra
authors: Department of Pathology, Shrimati Kashibai Navale Medical College, Narhe, Pune, India.
authors: Bageshri
authors: B
authors: Gogate
authors: Community Eye Care Foundation, Dr. Gogate's Eye Clinic, Pune, India.
authors: Parikshit
authors: P
authors: Gogate
authors: Bharti Vidyapeeth Medical College, School of Optometry, Pune, India.
authors: Nilesh
authors: N
authors: Thite
authors: Diabetes Care and research Foundation, Pune, India.
authors: Abhay
authors: A
authors: Mutha
authors: Walimbe Clinic, Pune, India.
authors: Amit
authors: A
authors: Walimbe
keywords: Cost of treatment; India.; diabetes; economic burden