Application of economic analysis to diabetes and diabetes care.

Facing limited resources and increases in demand from competing programs, policymakers and health care providers seek guidance from economic studies on how to use health care resources wisely. Previous economic studies mainly focused on estimating the cost of diabetes and cost-effectiveness of different interventions. These studies found that diabetes is costly and that its cost will continue to increase; thus, more resources should be devoted to research aimed at finding effective means to prevent the disease and its complications. In addition, the cost-effectiveness of interventions varies greatly in terms of quality-adjusted life-years gained; therefore, efficient uses of resources should be an important consideration when interventions are prioritized. The need for economic studies will continue to grow because of increasing demand for limited resources from the growing number of interventions available. Future studies should be of better quality and broadened in areas of research.