PDB47 HEALTHCARE UTILIZATION AND DIRECT MEDICAL COSTS OF HYPOGLYCEMIA IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES IN TIANJIN, CHINA

Abstract

To evaluate healthcare resource utilization and associated costs among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), with and without hypoglycemia in Tianjin, China. Adult patients with T2D were identified through Special Outpatient System diagnosis in Tianjin Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI) claims from 2011 to 2015. T2D Patients with primary diagnosis of hypoglycemia were identified as the hypoglycemia-cohort and the date of first hypoglycemia diagnosis defined as index date. Ten controls were matched to each patient in hypoglycemia-cohort and then designated the same index date of their matched cohort. Both diabetes-specific and all-cause resource utilization and costs were estimated and compared for the two cohorts in the 12-month follow-up period. A total of 7,876 patients with 716 in hypoglycemia-cohort and 7,160 in control-cohort were included in the study. The mean age of patients was 60.7 ± 10.3 years and 46.9% were female. The annual all-cause costs were ¥33,611 and ¥25,253 per patient in hypoglycemia and control cohorts, with diabetes-specific costs accounting for 60.3% and 66.7% respectively. Outpatient costs were the major contributor to both all-cause costs (77.9% vs. 78.7%) and diabetes-specific costs (75.7% vs. 82.5%). Annual all-cause inpatient cost was ¥7,434 in hypoglycemia-cohort, 38.5% higher than those without hypoglycemia (¥5,367). For diabetes-specific healthcare services, 29.5% and 23.9% of patients experienced at least one hospitalization respectively, with a mean length of stay of 21.6 and 19.1 days (P=0.085); most of the patients (99.0% vs. 95.1%) experienced at least one outpatient visit, with the mean outpatient visits of 47.4 and 44.2. All costs and resource utilization reported above were of significant difference (P<0.05) between two cohorts. T2D patients who experienced hypoglycemia had increased healthcare resource utilization and costs from both all-cause and diabetes-specific perspectives comparing with those without hypoglycaemia.