OBJECTIVE: The study investigated the factors affecting health-care costs and hospitalizations among diabetic patients in Thai public hospitals.

METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted by using administrative claims data obtained from diabetic patients during October 1, 2002 and September 30, 2003. Dependent variables were total health-care costs and the occurrence of hospitalizations. Independent variables included demographic factors, health-care utilisation, complications, comorbidities, and payment methods. Multivariate statistical analyses were applied.

RESULTS: The results of this study suggested that demographic factors of patients (i.e., age and male sex), payment methods (i.e., capitation, fee-for-service, and out-of-pocket) were significantly associated with higher health-care costs and probability of hospitalization. Patients receiving treatment from teaching hospitals significantly consumed higher health-care costs. In addition, the more health-care utilisation (i.e., occurrence of hospitalization, number of outpatient visit, and insulin utilization), the higher health-care costs the patients significantly had. Diabetic patients taking insulin had significantly higher health-care costs and risk of hospitalization. Furthermore, comorbidities (e.g., hypertension and cancer) and diabetes-related complications (e.g., nephropathy, neuropathy, retinopathy, coronary artery disease, cardiovascular disease, and peripheral vascular disease) were significantly associated with an increase in health-care costs and hospitalization.

CONCLUSION: Factors affecting health-care costs and hospitalizations may help health-care providers intervene to improve patient management and possibly reduce health-care costs in the future.