Hospitalisations account for nearly half of the direct health care costs of type 1 diabetes with cost increasing with complications, a new report has found.
The DiabCo$t Type 1 Australia Study, funded by the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS), revealed that the total annual cost to the nation of type 1 diabetes was $570 million, with the total average annual cost per patient being $4,669.
Medications accounted for 32 per cent of costs, with insulin accounting for approximately 14 per cent. Consumables, blood glucose testing strips and insulin-administering equipment accounted for 4.5 per cent of direct health care costs.
The study also found that mothers were the primary carers of children with type 1 diabetes, of which there are more than 120,000 sufferers in Australia.
Based on 2,200 respondents, mothers had taken almost a day every month off work, on average, and lost an average of $7,413 in wages annually.
Employment for one in six mothers had been reduced in order to care for their child, with over two-thirds experiencing an accompanying reduction in income.
Acting chief executive of Diabetes Australia, Greg Johnson, said the report provided critical new information to help inform policy development and prioritise resource allocation and future strategies – notably where carers were concerned.
"The impact on parents of children with type 1 diabetes, in particular, should not be underestimated and increased support is required to help manage the financial burden and to minimise the impact on workforce participation," he added.
The day-to-day challenge of managing blood glucose levels for those living with type 1 diabetes was also reinforced within the study.
During the three month assessment, approximately one in five people with type 1 diabetes reported experiencing, on average, almost three severe hypoglycaemic episodes requiring assistance.