Health utilities in patients with type 2 diabetes in Taiwan

We aimed to measure health utilities in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in Taiwan and to estimate the impact of common DM-related complications and adverse effects (AEs) on health utilities. The present study was a cross-sectional survey of DM patients at a metropolitan hospital. Respondents’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed by the EQ-5D-5L, and ordinary least-squares (OLS) regression was used to estimate the impact of self-reported DM-related complications and AEs on health utilities after controlling for age, gender, and duration of DM. A total of 506 eligible adults with type 2 DM (T2DM) were enrolled. The EQ-5D index values in our study sample ranged from −0.13 to 1, with a mean ± standard deviation of 0.88 ± 0.20. As indicated by the negative regression coefficients, the presence of any complication or AE was associated with lower EQ-5D index values, and the greatest impact on the score was made by amputation (−0.276), followed by stroke (−0.211), and blindness (−0.203). In conclusion, the present study elicited health utilities in patients with T2DM in Taiwan using the EQ-5D-5L. These estimated utility decrements provided essential data for future DM cost–utility analyses that are needed as a result of the increasing prevalence and health expenditures of DM.