Abstract
The economic burden of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a challenge for sustainability. Psychological factors, healthy behaviors, and stressful conditions are predictive and prognostic factors for T2DM. Focusing on psychological factors can reduce costs and help ensure the sustainability of diabetes care. The study aimed to support an integrated medical-psychological approach in the care of patients with T2DM. A group of patients undergoing usual healthcare treatment was compared to patients who received a psychotherapeutic intervention in addition to standard treatment. The study’s outcomes were: physical health (blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, blood lipids, blood pressure); lifestyle (cigarettes, alcoholic drinks, physical activity, body mass index); mental health (anxiety, depression, stress, coping styles, alexithymia, emotion regulation, locus of control); costs (number of referrals to a specialist, standard cost of each visit). We examined the change from baseline to 24-week follow-up. Compared to the Standard Group, the Integrated Group reported a reduction in blood lipids and triglycerides, chronic depressive and anxious mood states, patient emotional coping, and the number of specialist visits and diagnostic tests. Close collaboration between diabetologists and psychologists is feasible, and it is worth considering integrated care as an option to contain and make healthcare spending more sustainable.
Highlights
The spread of chronic diseases is a predominant problem and challenge for global health and the sustainability of healthcare [1]
There were no significant differences at baseline in hBa1C and Blood glucose
The allostatic load was comparable between ST and Integrated Treatment (IT)
Summary
The spread of chronic diseases is a predominant problem and challenge for global health and the sustainability of healthcare [1]. Diabetes represents an epidemic condition with a high impact on the costs of national health systems worldwide [2]. In. European countries, including Italy, the cost of treating diabetic patients exceeds 8% of total healthcare expenditure [3]. The diabetic population has an annual health expenditure. 3–4 times higher than the rest of the population, both medical and healthy. The treatment of complications increases the costs for hospitalization 50% of the total), medication (about 25%), and outpatient services (diagnostics and visits, about 20%) [4,5]. People with diabetes visit physicians’ offices more frequently than people without diabetes [6] due to the many complications of diabetes treatment [7].
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