Impact and Possible Future Implication of Diabetes in Health Economics - Coursework Example

Impact and Possible Future Implication of Diabetes in Health Economics Name Institution Date Impact and Possible Future Implication of Diabetes in Health Economics Introduction Health care systems allover the world are being bombarded by increased economic burden from chronic disease that take up a substantial amount of the budget directed to health care sector. Many governments in the world have been caught off guard concerning the reality of effect of chronic diseases in the long run. Many economies in the world will be negatively affected if the current trend in chronic disease cases in not halted. It means that substantial resources have to be directed towards treatment of chronic diseases and their related complications. The current trend raises an alarm over increased cases of diabetes and its related complications (Eddy, Schlessinger, Kahn R, 2005). Many homes have been robed of breadwinners and important contributors to the growth in economy through premature deaths occasioned by diabetes and its related complications. This paper explores the possible present and future impact of diabetes in health economics and what it means to healthcare systems. Overview of Chronic Diseases There is a great impact of disease and health on cost of business, labour supply, and regional, state, and national growth in the economy. Good health is the fundamental investment as far as economic growth is concerned. Increase of chronic disease in the current society poses a significant risk to the growth of the economy. Chronic diseases have been on the rise in the recent past. Many diseases that were being associated by mature age like cancer are now being diagnosed in young people today. Countries across the world allocate a substantial budget for healthcare service provision (Palmer et al, 2004). Despite these efforts, the risk of chronic disease has not been eradicated in the society but contrary it is increasing at an alarming pace day by day. The current healthcare trends include increase in elderly population, poor eating habits, and increase in chronic disease such as diabetes, heart disease, and HIV aids. Chronic diseases have resulted into a surge in healthcare cost. There is more than one billion dollars allocated for spending on the Australian healthcare system annually (Hayes et al, 2008). With such kind of allocation, health economics becomes one of the important fields to be considered for research in order to inform policy makers on the formula of distributing resource allocation for improvement of health outcomes and services. A disease that is chronic is a human health condition or disease that is long-lasting or persistent in its nature. A disease is termed as chronic when the course of the disease is experienced for a period exceeding three months. Some of the chronic diseases include asthma, arthritis, cancer, HIV Aids, diabetes, and COPD. In the United States almost one in two Americans experience medical conditions that are chronic with many victims having the age between eighteen and sixty four years of age. It is anticipated that by the year 2030 the projected number of chronically ill population will be more than one percent of American 171 million population. Chronic diseases every year are responsible for close to 1 million deaths and close to one billion of disability. Victims of chronic disease take up to 750, 000 hospital beds and get the equivalent services that are full time of at least a third of physicians. More than 25million people are affected by non-disabling and disability chronic ailment. There is an increased national burden as far as chronic diseases are concerned (Dunn, 1990). Chronic diseases are escalating in global prevalence and are seriously threatening developing countries’ capacity to improve the healthcare of the population. The staggering national burden caused by chronic diseases is a major cause of insecurity within the society and a call to immediate action. Deaths, disability, hospital and medical care enable the estimation of chronic disease population. The mortality rate of from chronic diseases has been increasing at an alarming rate. Deaths from the chronic diseases can be used to estimate the impact of the pandemic in today’s society. Chronic diseases are representing for close to fifty percent of the disease burden in over twenty three developing countries by the year 2005. By the year 2015 those countries would have spent 84 billion dollars on the healthcare burden occasioned by the chronic disease. Both developing and developed nations have reported increased cases of chronic diseases. The growth of chronic diseases that are life-style related in countries that are poor is occasioned by a complex constellation of economic, social, and behavioral factors. Diabetes Disease and Related Complications One of the most prevalent chronic diseases that have been reported to be on the increase is diabetes. Diabetes has serious implication on the future and current on any country’s health care system. Emotional, psychological, and social factors not only affect the quality of life, but usually play a pert in outcomes of chronic illness. Diabetes care is to great extent influenced by factors that are psychosocial when they interfere with the capacity of an individual in the management of the disease and realize metabolic control (Halverson et al., 1996). Healthy coping which is responding to physical and psychological challenge through recruiting resources available to increase to enhance the probability of outcomes that are favorable in future is important to effective self-management to patients suffering from diabetes. Diabetes has serious consequences on the healthcare systems since patients of diabetes require a lot of attention in the management of diabetes (Glauber & Brown, 1994). Diabetes mellitus comprises of a set of diseases that are related whereby the body is unable to regulate the amount of sugar within the blood. The blood is used to deliver glucose for provision of energy to the body in order for the person to perform daily activities. The liver converts food into glucose. When a person is healthy, the level of glucose in the body is normally regulated by a number of hormones, majorly insulin. Insulin is given out by the pancreas. Pancreas is also responsible for production of vital enzymes released directly into the stomach that assist in the digestion of food (Jiang et al, 2003). People having diabetes do not produce insulin which is enough (type 1 diabetes) or in other circumstances, it cannot use insulin in a proper manner (type diabetes). In patients with diabetes, glucose within the blood cannot efficiently get into cells; consequently levels of glucose remain quite high. This trend starves cells that require glucose for energy and also harms certain tissues and organs which are exposed to levels of glucose that are high. Type 1 diabetes In case of type 1 diabetes, the body ceases to produce insulin or produces insulin in very small quantities that cannot regulate sugar levels within the blood. Type 1 diabetes comprises close to ten percent of all people having diabetes in the United States of America. Type 1 diabetes is normally diagnosed during adolescence or childhood. It was referred as juvenile-onset diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (Clarke et al, 2004). Type 1 diabetes can occur in adults owing to destruction of pancreas by disease, alcohol, or perhaps removal through surgery. The disease also comes about following pancreatic beta cells progressive failure, which is the only cells that produces satisfactory amount of insulin. Type 2 diabetes In case of this disease, the pancreas secretes insulin whereas the body a person with type 2 diabetes is completely or partially unable to utilize this insulin. This is what is also known as insulin resistance. The pancreas tries as much as possible to deal with this resistance insulin in high quantities. People who have insulin resistance develop type 2 diabetes when do not secrete enough insulin to cope with demands which are high. There are close to 90 percent of adult person with diabetes develop type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is normally diagnosed when a person is in his adulthood (Quilici et al, 2005). This is about 45 years of age. The disease used to be known as adult-onset diabetes mellitus. Type 2 diabetes nowadays also occurs in younger generations. Type 2 diabetes can be controlled with weight loss, diet, oral medication, and exercise. People having type 2 diabetes need to control blood sugar levels at some point in the period of their illness. Both type 2 and type 1 diabetes ultimately result into high blood sugar levels which is a condition known as hyperglycemia. For a long time hyperglycemia destroys the retina of the eye, the kidneys blood vessels, the nerves, and other types of the blood vessels. When the retina is damaged by diabetes, a condition known as diabetes retinopathy, there is likelihood of blindness occurring (Tuomilehto, 2001). Damage to the kidneys from diabetes, which is known as diabetes nephropathy, is a leading cause of kidney failure. Destruction to the nerve resulting fro diabetes (diabetes neuropathy) leads to ulcers and foot wounds, which lead to leg and foot amputations. Destruction to the nerves within the autonomic nervous system occasions paralysis to the gut (gastroparesis), in ability to control heart rate, chronic diarrhea, and pressure of blood in the course postural changes (Clarke, Kelman & Colagiuri, 2006). Diabetes increases atherosclerosis, Fatty plaques form within arteries which lead to thrombus or blockages. Such occurrences in the body lead to stroke, heart attack, and reduced circulation in the legs and arms (peripheral vascular disease). Diabetes is able to predispose people to enhanced blood pressure, triglycerides and high degrees of cholesterol. Such conditions compounded with hyperglycemia enhance the chances of heart disease, kidney failure, and blood vessel complications (Herman et al, 2005). Diabetes is a debilitating and chronic disease that needs treatment that is life-long and largely enhances the risk of serious complications that are long-term. Monitoring and treatment of diabetes has cost governments healthcare systems across the world billions of shillings. Economic Impact of Diabetes Significant costs to society and citizens are incurred for medical care direct costs which comprise of loss of productivity occasioned by diabetes premature mortality and morbidity. Able-bodied people who had many dependents in their care end up being bed ridden or having some part of their body like legs or arms being amputated. Healthcare systems have to create more space to increasing patients of diabetes. Nursing homes costs are becoming expensive for citizens as they fight increased cost of living (Cutler, 1996). Diabetes victims who have been amputated need people to offer them services which they could earlier on perform on their own. Time used in taking care of the diabetes victim could be used in some other way in increasing the economic growth of the country. Costs sensitizing people on the danger of poor eating habits have also meant additional burden to the government healthcare system (Schofield et al, 2008). As citizens become more sensitive concerning their health they spend more money in choosing the right foods to eat. These foods have rapidly escalated in costs. Organic and natural products demand has been on the rise. Unfortunately these products are not easily accessible. Despite these efforts to combat the scourge of diabetes in the society, there are increased cases of diabetes in many countries. Early detection means regular medical check ups which translate to increased cost of medical care (Sondik , Huang, Klein & Satcher, 2008). Direct costs and outpatients care costs have been on the rise. The cost-effectiveness of prescribed interventions that are aimed at slowing or halting the development of glucose tolerance that is impaired into type 2 diabetes has been studied in number of computer modeling simulations and clinical appearances. Many healthcare systems are being overwhelmed by the surge in diabetes patients’ treatment and management needs (Caro et al, 2004). There is urgent need to increase funding for control programs and early detection of the disease. Direct costs that include monetary resources are needed to satisfy healthcare services which are needed by patients. Some of the services required include diagnosis, consultation, drugs, hospitalization, and complications’ treatment. Financial burden attributed to management of diabetes is enormous. Future Implication of Diabetes The effect of diabetes on expenditure of health care has been largely recognized. Cost of illness studies indicate that there is a three fold surge in the direct costs incurred by diabetes patients when compared to patients that are non-diabetic in the context of various health care systems. Costs attributed to diabetes escalate due to increasing number of hospital days, high cost for nursing homes, outpatient treatment that is expensive, and escalating consumption of drug (Stern, 1995).The economic effects of diabetes can be easily underestimated. In many circumstances diabetes is closely linked to other chronic conditions that are cost-intensive. Some of these conditions entail cardiovascular disease and factors of risk like lipid disorder and hypertension. In a majority of the cases, it is impossible or very hard to separate the costs attributed to diabetes and that attributed to other medical conditions (Palmer, Roze, Valentine & Renaudin, 2004). It can be estimated that prescribed drugs form a substantial part of escalating direct costs of healthcare. The financial burden incurred by patients with diabetes and their families depend on their respective economic status and social insurance policies within their native countries. This means that they have to pay more policy medical cover in case of such chronic diseases as diabetes. Few studies have examined the economic effect of cost component in manner that is more detail. In many countries, majority of diabetes patients are treated by general practitioners and internists offering primary healthcare. Presently there is no elaborate evaluation of prescription costs and use among diabetes patients in the healthcare system of Germany. There are close to 246 millions who are suffering from diabetes allover the world. In the year 1998 there were close to 30 million suffers of diabetes escalating in the world to almost six times in a span of twenty years (Mantavani et al, 2004). It is estimated that by the year 2025 the people with diabetes are expected to be double in Eastern Mediterranean, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. The rise in Europe, North America, South and Central America, in Western Pacific is 21%, 43%, 102%, and 48% respectively. This shows that there will be an increase in the economic costs for management of diabetes and related complications (Songer, 1992).With the increase diabetes related complications, there is the danger of the disease being a deterrent to steady economic growth. Resource allocation has to consider the escalation of the disease in the society today. Healthcare systems have to be equipped with resources or equipment to be used in early detection of diabetes that can lead to prevention of complicated medical conditions. Conclusion Healthcare systems allover the world have been hugely affected by increase in chronic disease. Complications resulting from chronic diseases have adversely affected the economy. Diabetes is one of the prevalent chronic diseases that have been reported in many countries. The care and direct costs incurred by diabetes patients widely affect societies in many ways. The future for the diabetes pandemic and its related complication seem to be indicating a worsening trend. The need for more resources to combat the diabetes scourge is imminent. References Quilici S, et al. (2005) Cost-effectiveness of acarbose for the management of impaired glucose tolerance in Sweden. Int J Clin Pract; 59(10): 1143-1152. Caro JJ, et al (2004). Economic evaluation of therapeutic interventions to prevent Type 2 diabetes in Canada. Diabet Med; 21(11): 1229-1236. Tuomilehto J, Lindstrom J, Eriksson JG, Valle TT, Hamalainen H, Ilanne-Parikka P et al. (2001). Prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus by changs in lifestyle among subjects with I mpaired glucose tolerance. N Engl J Med; 344(18): 1343-1350. Herman WH, Hoerger TJ, Brandie M, Hicks K, Sorensen S, Zhang P et al. (2005). 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