Healthcare costs of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Basque Country (Spain).
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to estimate the direct costs of healthcare provided to patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the Basque Country and to compare them with those of the population with chronic diseases.


METHODS
A retrospective, cross-sectional, population-based study. Direct healthcare costs for patients aged over 35 years diagnosed with T2DM in the Basque Country (n=126,894) were calculated, stratified by age, sex and deprivation index, and compared to the costs for the population diagnosed with a chronic disease other than T2DM (n=1,347,043).


RESULTS
The annual average healthcare cost of a person with T2DM was €3,432. Cost gradually increased with age to €4,313 in patients aged 80 to 84 years. Cost in males were €161 higher as compared to costs in females (P<.001). In the most socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, cost per patient was €468 (14.9%) greater than in the most privileged areas (P<.001). Moreover, cost was 68.5% higher (P<.001) for patients with T2DM than for patients with other chronic diseases. Total annual direct costs amounted to €435.5 million, or 12.78% of total public health expenditure in the region.


CONCLUSIONS
Direct mean healthcare costs in the Basque Country for patients with T2DM were higher in males, in the most underprivileged areas, in patients with comorbidities, and in older age groups, and represented €3,432 per person per year.
Deusto Business School Health, Universidad de Deusto, Bilbao, España.
Roberto
R
Nuño-Solinís
Bioestadística, Santa Isabel, Arrigorriaga, España. Electronic address: edurne.almo@gmail.com.
Edurne
E
Alonso-Morán
Departamento Vasco de Salud, Dirección de Salud Pública y Adicciones, Vitoria-Gasteiz, España.
Jose M
JM
Arteagoitia Axpe
Osakidetza, Servicio Vasco de Salud, Vitoria-Gasteiz, España.
Patxi
P
Ezkurra Loiola
Osakidetza, Servicio Vasco de Salud, Vitoria-Gasteiz, España.
Juan F
JF
Orueta
Osakidetza, Servicio Vasco de Salud, Vitoria-Gasteiz, España; Universidad del País Vasco, Leioa, España; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Madrid, España.
Sonia
S
Gaztambide
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
Chronic disease; Costes sanitarios; Diabetes mellitus tipo 2; Enfermedad crónica; Healthcare costs; Multimorbidity; Multimorbilidad; Type 2 diabetes mellitus