Evaluation of Length of Hospital Stay Joining Educational Programs for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: Can We Control Medical Costs in Japan?

Kazumitsu Nawata^1*, Koichi Kawabuchi²

¹Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
²Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.

DOI: 10.4236/health.2015.72030                

Abstract

Diabetes has become a growing concern in Japan, both medically and financially. The medical cost of diabetes was estimated at 1215 billion yen for fiscal year 2011. We analyzed the length of stay (LOS) in a hospital for type 2 diabetes mellitus patients who participated in educational programs to determine factors affecting LOS. Data on 991 patients obtained from 28 Red Cross hospitals in 2008 were used. For the analysis, we used the Box-Cox transformation model and Hausman test. The results revealed that patients aged 75 years and above and those with comorbidities and complications were prone to longer LOS. The analysis also revealed significant differences in LOS across the hospitals, even after controlling for patient characteristics. Finally, we applied the least squares method to determine the effects of hospital and regional factors and revealed that patients’ LOS was affected by the region’s average LOS. Regional corporations and networks appeared to be important in improving educational programs.

Keywords

Medical Cost, Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients, Length of Stay (LOS), Educational Program, Box-Cox Transformation Model

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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