In that time period, total spending went from $6.7 billion to $12.5 billion, say researchers from the University of Chicago and Stanford University.
In 2002, diabetes accounted for more than 10 percent of U.S. health-care expenditures, and that number is expected to increase as the number of people with type 2 diabetes grows, the researchers noted.
“We found dramatic changes in the treatment patterns for diabetes during the past decade,” said study author Dr. G. Caleb Alexander, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago. “This includes a remarkable change in drugs, as well as significant increases in costs.”
Whether these changes in diabetic care positively impact outcomes isn’t known, Alexander said. “The jury is still out as to whether these changes are worth it,” he said. “The million dollar question is: Are these changes going to lead to overall significant improvement in the outcomes that matter to patients and their doctors?”
The report was published in the Oct. 27 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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