Direct costs of diabetes care: a survey in Ottawa, Ontario 1986

205 unselected Ottawa area patients with diabetes completed questionnaires indicating their annual utilization of equipment, supplies, professional and institutional services. Respondents' average age was 47.3 and average duration of diabetes 18.3 years. About 70% used self-testing of blood glucose. Calculations of costs were based on prevailing local prices. Annual treatment-related costs for the 9.3% on anti-diabetic tablets averaged $236.40, for the 79% on injected insulin $362.34, and for the 7.3% on insulin-by-pump $1603.20. Averaged over all respondents, routine care costs were $962.01 annually, of which 23.4% was for at-home testing, 45.3% for treatment supplies, 20.9% for physicians' services and 10.4% for miscellaneous items. Non-routine care costs averaged $1982.24 with all except $45.84 for emergency room charges being in-hospital care costs. Cost of routine plus non-routine care averaged $2944.25 annually of which 64.4% was for hospital services, 13.9% for treatment needs, 9.6% for physicians' services and 7.7% for testing supplies. This type of survey, particularly if carried out with help from diabetes association volunteers, offers an affordable means to monitor utilization trends and costs of supplies and services for patient care.