2018 Volume 61 Issue 6 Pages 382-388
The burden of payment of medical costs was investigated in 294 outpatients with lifestyle-related diseases (type 2 diabetes, n=272; non-diabetes, n=22). The annual medical and self-paid costs were significantly higher in the patients with type 2 diabetes (425,000 yen and 88,000 yen, respectively) than in those without diabetes (160,000 yen and 31,000 yen, respectively). A higher percentage of patients with type 2 diabetes (63 %) found self-payment to be a burden compared to patients without diabetes (45 %). The patients who considered self-payment to be a burden had a higher self-burden ratio of medical costs and a more frequently had a family who lived together than those who did not consider self-payment to be a burden. The percentage of patients who were satisfied with their diabetes treatment was significantly lower among the patients who considered self-payment to be a burden than among those who did not consider it to be a burden. The burden of self-payment was not associated with the amount that was paid. These findings suggest that the burden of self-payment might be associated with the future onset of vascular complications and an increase in medical costs among patients with type 2 diabetes. Increased satisfaction with treatment may help reduce the burden of self-payment and treatment interruption.
