Economic Burdens of Childhood Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Shanghai

Objective To study economic burdens of childhood type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) in Shanghai. Methods Children with type 1 DM in the child hospital affiliated to Shanghai Medical University were investigated. Results The results showed that cost of routine therapy for type 1 DM was 246 59 yuan per person monthly. On the average, the annual times of hospitalization was 0 46 after disease onset and increased as the course lasted. There was a correlation between those two variables. It cost about 2 139 02 yuan on every hospitalization. It's calculated that the direct cost of childhood type 1 DM was about 4 000 yuan and indirect cost about 800 yuan per patient annually. Conclusion The expenditure on glucose monitor was not enough. It is necessary to popularize the diabetes knowledge and stress the importance of glucose monitor on patients and their parents.