Treatment patterns, healthcare utilization, and healthcare costs in patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes: a retrospective real-world study in Tianjin, China

AIMS: Data on healthcare among people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in mainland China are limited. This real-world study evaluated treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and healthcare costs among people with newly diagnosed T1D in Tianjin, China. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from a medical records database. The objective was to evaluate clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, HCRU, and healthcare costs in people with newly diagnosed T1D between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2023. RESULTS: In total, 1396 people with newly diagnosed T1D were included (mean ± standard deviation age 30.6 ± 22.2 years; 38.8% aged <18 years [mean age 9 years]). At diagnosis, 70.3% required hospitalization or emergency care and 43.3% had diabetic ketoacidosis, with a higher prevalence in children and adolescents (65.7%). The three most common initial insulin regimens were insulin pump (30.4%), basal-bolus insulin (24.3%), and bolus insulin only (20.9%). During follow-up, the mean total all-cause HCRU was 14.32 clinical visits per person per year (PPPY) and the mean length of all-cause hospitalization was 14.14 days PPPY. Mean total all-cause healthcare costs were 28256.13 Chinese Yuan Renminbi (CNY) PPPY. CONCLUSIONS: People with T1D in Tianjin, China presented with severe conditions at diagnosis and had substantial ongoing HCRU and healthcare costs; actual costs may have been underestimated due to database limitations. These findings highlight the considerable clinical complexity and healthcare expenditure observed in individuals with T1D in China and emphasize the urgent need for effective strategies to improve T1D management and address the healthcare system burden.