Economic burden and influencing factors of type II diabetes mellitus in Khammam district, Telangana

INTRODUCTION: Lifestyle diseases like type II diabetes mellitus (DM) are evolving as a significant health problem in India. Numerous direct and indirect costs, mainly complications, are the key drivers of healthcare expenditure for DM by many investigators. We intended to evaluate the healthcare expenditure by determining the direct, indirect, and intangible costs of type II DM patients in the urban area of Khammam District of Telangana State of India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was done among 86 type II DM patients in the urban setting of Khammam City. The data regarding annual direct medical cost, direct nonmedical cost, and indirect cost were collected using pretested, prevalidated proforma. Analysis was done using mean, median, and interquartile range (IQR). RESULTS: The mean direct medical cost per annum of type II DM for the study participants was Indian rupee (INR) 51,288. The median direct nonmedical cost per annum for food expenses was INR 8125 (3500–20,000 IQR), and for transport for the medical visits was INR 4385 (60–7200 IQR). CONCLUSIONS: DM significantly burdens health systems through expenditure on hospitalizations, diagnostic services and remedies, and other allied medical care services. Therefore, glycemic control and prevention of complications can be widely accepted as the most cost-effective means of controlling DM-related expenditures.