Publications and Products

Studies on the Cost of Diabetes

Thomas J Songer, PhD, MSc
Lorraine Ettaro, BS
and the Economics of Diabetes Project Panel

Prepared for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Division of Diabetes Translation
Atlanta, GA

June 1998

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Why Conduct a Cost-of-Illness Study?
3. Actual Uses of Cost-of-Illness Estimates
4. Methods Used in Estimating the Cost-of-Illness
5. Cost-of-Diabetes Methods
6. Cost-of-Diabetes Estimates – Results
7. Cost-of-Diabetes Estimates – Comparisons
8. Summary
9. Limitations in Current Cost-of-Diabetes Studies
10. A Proposed Framework for Future Research
11. References

Tables

1. Estimates of costs of various diseases
2. Estimates of the economic cost of diabetes mellitus in the United States, by study
3. Estimates of direct costs for health care services in diabetes, by study
4. Estimates of health care utilization with data sources, by study
5. Cost components included in estimates of direct health care costs for diabetes
6. Estimates of indirect costs due to absenteeism, disability, and mortality from diabetes, by study
7. Comparison of unit costs used by American Diabetes Association studies for hospital care and nursing home care

Figures

1. "Prevalence and Costs of Uncured Disease in the U.S."
2. Economic Impact of Alzheimer’s Disease
3. Health Care Costs of Various Disorders
4. Number of cited cost-of-diabetes studies by year – January 1983–October 1997
5. Number of citations per cost of diabetes study published
6. Direct costs of diabetes in the United States adjusted by the GDP deflator and prevalence of diabetes
7. Attributable risk procedures – ADA studies

Appendices

1. Appendix A – Price inflation and diabetes prevalence adjusters
2. Appendix B – Direct costs, adjusted for price inflation, using Gross Domestic Product deflator, and diabetes prevalence
3. Appendix C – Direct costs, adjusted for price inflation, using Consumer Price Index all items, and diabetes prevalence
4. Appendix D – Direct costs, adjusted for price inflation, using Consumer Price Index medical care, and diabetes prevalence
5. Appendix E – Direct costs, adjusted
6. Appendix F – Economics of Diabetes Project. Summary and Key Findings of Panel Meeting. April 6-7, 1998, Atlanta, GA

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Judith Lave and Joseph Newhouse for comments and insight on the manuscript and access to unpublished data. This work was supported by the CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation.

Address for correspondence:

Thomas J Songer, PhD, MSc Department of Epidemiology Graduate School of Public Health University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA 15261

Top of page

Privacy Policy | Accessibility

Home | About the Program | Site Map | Contact Us

CDC Home | Search | Health Topics A-Z

United States Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Division of Diabetes Translation