Abstract
Background:
Despite the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes, its financial burden on the Spanish healthcare system remains unclear. This study was conducted to determine the cost share of self-measurement of blood glucose (SMBG) by comparing the direct costs of reduced complications of diabetes in SMBG users versus nonusers in the Spanish statutory health insurance system.
Methods:
Matched-pair analysis was done of the average annual total direct cost of diabetes monitoring, treatment-related services, complications, and follow-up in the RetrOlective Study Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose and Outcome in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (ROSSO) study cohort, updated to 2008 from the year of occurrence or diagnosis of diabetes.
Results:
In patients treated with oral antidiabetes drugs (OADs) only, total annual costs were €1,934 in SMBG users and €1,982 in nonusers. In those treated with OADs plus insulin, total annual costs were €3,451 and €4,167, respectively. By increasing the number of patients using SMBG, the Spanish statutory health insurance system might save several million Euros annually.
Conclusions:
The analysis showed that the promotion of SMBG in patients with type 2 diabetes is associated with considerable cost savings for the Spanish healthcare system.