African Americans Hardest Hit
(Harrisburg, November 1, 2002)… A new government study, released today in conjunction with National Diabetes Awareness Month, reports that hospitalizations where diabetes was either a primary or secondary diagnosis rose 16.8% from 1997 to 2001. The increase from year 2000 to 2001 was 4.4%. According to the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4), these hospitalizations represented a staggering 16.5% of all inpatient hospitalizations in 2001 – up from 14.7% in 1997. African Americans continue to have the highest rates of hospitalization for daibetes and end stage renal disease, as well as the highest rates of lower extremity amputations. <
“Despite the efforts of many health-related organizations, state and federal agencies, and dedicated individuals, hospitalizations resulting from diabetes and its complications continue to increase,” stated Marc P. Volavka, Executive Director of PHC4. “Obviously, we need to continue if not redouble our efforts to diagnose, and more importantly, manage the treatment of this terrible disease.”
Diabetes is an incurable, chronic and often disabling disease that affects approximately 17 million Americans- including more than 500,000 Pennsylvanians – and is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. About one-third of Americans with diabetes are unaware that they have it.
“PHC4′s most recent report on HMO services, released last May, showed that HMOs with high proportions of members with well controlled Hemoglobin A1c levels had lower hospitalization rates for diabetes,” noted Mr. Volavka. “Good preventive care makes a difference and cannot be overemphasized.”
Other Findings
- Of the 298,941 hospitalizations involving diabetes, 7.5% – 22,526 hospitalizations – were a direct result of diabetes (i.e. diabetes was the principal diagnosis of the hospital admission). In 2001 alone, these hospitalizations accounted for over 127,000 hospital days and incurred over $424 million in hospital charges.
- In 2001, there was 243 hospitalizations with a diagnosis of diabetes (either as a principal or secondary diagnosis) for every 10,000 Pennsylvania residents – up form 213 in 1997.
- The rate of hospitalizations directly resulting form diabetes increased 10.2% from 1997 to 2001, accounting for more than 614,000 hospital days and incurred $1.6 billion in hospital charges. It is noteworthy that some of these hospitalizations may have been preventable if appropriate primary care had been provided.
- While the number and rate of hospitalizations for Type 1 diabetes has decreased in recent years, the number and rate of hospitalizations for Type 2 diabetes has increased steadily.
- Between 1997 and 2001, the hospitalization rate for diabetes increased across all age groups; many experienced double-digit increases. The largest increases were in the 30-39 and 40-49 age groups where the hospitalization rates increased by 26.1% and 18.4% respectively.
- African Americans continued to have the highest rate of hospitalization for diabetes, as well as the highest rates of lower extremity amputations and hospitalization for end-stage renal disease.
- Western and Northeastern Pennsylvania counties had higher hospitalization rates ofr end-stage renal disease than the statewide average; Southeast Pennsylvania counties had lower rates.
- Counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania tended to have rates of lower-extremity amputations that wre higher than the statewide average.
PHC4 is an independent state agency that collects, analyzes and disseminates health care information that can help purchasers, consumers, providers, insurers and policy makes make more informed health care decisions. Copies of this free report can be obtained by calling (717) 232-6787 or on the Web at www.phc4.org.
