How Serious is the Economic Burden of Diabetes Mellitus in Hainan Province? A Study Based on “System of Health Account 2011”

INTRODUCTION: The treatment of diabetes requires extensive use of healthcare resources, resulting in high medical costs, which in turn places a heavy economic burden on society, patients and their families. METHODS: A multi-stage stratified random sampling method was used to investigate 283 medical and health institutions in Hainan Province. The total medical expenses relating to diabetes in Hainan Province in 2016, institutional flow directions, the composition of service functions and the distribution of the healthcare costs to beneficiaries were analyzed based on the System of Health Account 2011. The STATA version 12.0 statistical software package was used to collate operation data, and SPSS software was used to carry out regression analysis on the factors affecting hospitalization costs. RESULTS: In 2016, the total medical expenses for the treatment of diabetes in Hainan Province was 242.17 billion renminbi (RMB), of which 81.95% was spent in high-level hospitals and 14.71% was spent in medical institutions providing primary care. There was little difference between outpatient and hospitalization expenses (53.01 and 46.99%, respectively). Hospitalization accounted for 77.62% of the expenses of medical institutions providing primary care. Older patients were found to spend more on medical and drug expenditure. CONCLUSION: The economic burden of healthcare expenses for the treatment of diabetes in Hainan Province is massive, and patient treatment is concentrated in large hospitals. It is necessary to inform patients to focus more on medical institutions that provide primary care, adjust the proportion of medical insurance reimbursement, control the cost of hospitalization and strengthen the healthcare management of middle-aged and elderly diabetic patients. Only in this way can costs be reduced and the economic burden be eased.