Increased healthcare utilization costs following initiation of insulin treatment in type 2 diabetes: A long-term follow-up in clinical practice

Characterizing health care utilization following hospitalization for a traumatic brain injury: a retrospective cohort study

Objective: The purpose of this study was to characterize health services utilization among individuals hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) 1-year post-injury.Methods: Using a retrospective cohort design, adult patients (n = 32, 042) hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury between 2005 and 2014 were selected from a statewide traumatic brain injury registry. Data on health services utilization for 1-year post-injury were extracted from electronic medical and administrative records. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to characterize the cohort and a subgroup of superutilizers of health services.Results: One year after traumatic brain injury, 56% of participants used emergency department services, 80% received inpatient services, and 93% utilized outpatient health services. Superutilizers had ≥3 emergency department visits, ≥3 inpatient admissions, or ≥26 outpatient visits 1-year post-injury. Twenty-six percent of participants were superutilizers of emergency department services, 30% of inpatient services, and 26% of outpatient services. Superutilizers contributed to 81% of emergency department visits, 70% of inpatient visits, and 60% of outpatient visits. Factors associated with being a superutilizer included sex, race, residence, and insurance type.Conclusions: Several patient characteristics and demographic factors influenced patients' healthcare utilization post-TBI. Findings provide opportunities for developing targeted interventions to improve patients' health and traumatic brain injury-related healthcare delivery.

Direct medical costs in the preceding, event and subsequent years of a first severe hypoglycaemia episode requiring hospitalization: A population-based cohort study

AIMS

We aimed to estimate the use of healthcare services and the direct medical costs accrued by patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) during the year of the first severe hypoglycaemia (SH) event, as well as during the years before and after the event year.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We analysed a population-based, retrospective cohort including all adults with DM managed in the primary care setting from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority between 2006 and 2013. DM patients for whom SH was first recorded during the designated period were identified and matched to a control group of patients who had not experienced an SH event using the propensity score method. Direct medical costs in the years before, during and after the first SH event were determined by totalling the costs of health services utilized within respective years.

RESULTS

After matching, a total of 22 694 DM patients were divided into the first recorded-SH group (n = 11 347) and the non-SH control group (n = 11 347). Patients for whom SH was first recorded, on average, made 7.85 outpatient clinic visits, made 1.89 emergency visits and spent 17.75 nights hospitalized during the event year. Mean direct medical costs during the event year were 11 751 US$, more than 2-fold that during the preceding year (4846 US$; P < 0.001) and subsequent years (4198-4700 US$; P < 0.001) and was 4.5 times that 2 years before the event (2481 US$; P < 0.001). Incremental costs of SH patients vs matched controls during the event year and the preceding year were 10 873 US$ (P < 0.001) and 3974 US$ (P < 0.001), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

SH is associated with excessive hospital admission rates and direct medical costs during the event year and, in particular, during the year before as compared to patients who had not experienced an SH event.

DIRECT COSTS OF TYPE 2 DIABETES: A BRAZILIAN COST-OF-ILLNESS STUDY

Objectives:The aim of this study was to evaluate the direct costs of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients treated in a Brazilian public hospital.

Methods:This was an exploratory retrospective cost-of-illness study with quantitative approach, using medical records of patients treated in a public hospital (2012–14), with at least one consultation over a period of 12 months. Data on patient's profile, exams, number of consultations, medications, hospitalizations, and comorbidities were collected. The cost per patient per year (pppy) was calculated as well as the costs related to glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values, using thresholds of 7 and 8 percent.

Results:Data of 726 patients were collected with mean age of 62 ± 11 years (68.3 percent female). A total of 67.1 percent presented HbA1c > 7 percent and 44.9 percent > 8 percent. The median cost of diabetes was United States dollar (USD) 197 pppy. The median costs of medication were USD 152.49 pppy, while costs of exams and consultations were USD 40.57 pppy and 8.70 pppy, respectively. Thirty-eight patients (4 percent) were hospitalized and presented a median cost of 3,656 per patient per hospitalization with a cost equivalent to 53.1 percent of total expenses. Total costs of patients with HbA1c ≤ 7 percent were lower for this group and also costs of medications and consultations, whereas for patients with HbA1c ≤ 8 percent, only total costs and costs of medications were lower when compared with HbA1c > 8 percent patients.

Conclusions:Medications and hospitalizations were the major contributor of diabetes expenses. Preventing T2DM, or reducing its complications through adequate control, may help avoid the substantial costs related to this disease.

Changes in health services usage associated with insulin initiation in primary care

Insulin initiation is often delayed in primary care partly because of clinician concerns about the additional clinical work. This study describes health services usage (HSU) pre- and post-insulin initiation in people with type 2 diabetes and out-of-target glycaemic levels. Secondary analysis of participant data from the Stepping Up randomised controlled trial of a model of care for insulin initiation in general practice was undertaken. For 142 people who commenced insulin, HSU in the 6 months prior was compared to that in the 12 months following insulin initiation. Overall, HSU events increased in the 6 months following insulin initiation from a median (IQR) of 18 (15, 29) to 23 (16, 36); (P=0.05), mostly because of an increase in general practitioner (GP) consultations (6 (4, 10) to 8 (5, 11); (P=0.01)). HSU and GP consultations subsequently returned to baseline at 12 months. There was no effect on hospitalisations or specialist consultations. Insulin initiation is associated with a small increase in GP consultations that reverts to baseline after 12 months without affecting other health services. This study can inform health services planning and resource allocation at practice and health policy levels to support insulin initiation in general practice.

Weight change patterns and healthcare costs in patients with newly-diagnosed type-2 diabetes in Sweden

AIMS

To describe weight-change pathways in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and associated healthcare costs using repeated BMI measurements and healthcare utilization data.

METHODS

Patients with newly-diagnosed T2D with body mass index (BMI, kg/m²) at diagnosis and subsequent measures at year 1-3 were identified. Based on three-year BMI change, patients were assigned to one of 27 BMI change pathways defined by annual BMI change: BMI↗ (≥1 BMI unit increase), BMI→ (<1 BMI unit change), and BMI↘ (≥1 BMI unit decrease). Mean annual and three-year cumulative healthcare costs were estimated for each pathway by combining Swedish unit costs with resource use from primary care and national patient registers.

RESULTS

Cohort consisted of 15,819 patients; 44% women, mean age of 61 years, HbA1c of 6.7% (50mmol/mol), BMI of 30.6kg/m². Most common BMI pathways (mean costs): BMI→→→ (€5,311), BMI↘→→ (€5,461), and BMI→→↘ (€6,281). General trends: BMI→→→ linked to lowest, BMI↗→↗ linked to highest costs.

CONCLUSION

In patients with newly-diagnosed T2D, weight stability was the most common BMI change pattern over 3 years and associated with lowest healthcare costs. Relationship between weight change and healthcare costs appears complex warranting further investigation.