Socio-economic inequalities in occurrence and health care costs in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases: results from a Spanish population-based study including 1.9 million persons.

Objectives: To explore and compare the impact of socio-economic deprivation on the occurrence of the major rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) and health care costs.

Methods: Data on diagnoses, socio-demographics and health care costs of the entire adult population of the Basque Country (Spain) was used. Area deprivation index included five categories (1 to 5 (most deprived)).

Comorbidities with chronic physical conditions and gender profiles of illness in schizophrenia. Results from PREST, a new health dataset.

Objective: Using data from a large health dataset, the objectives are to describe the epidemiology of comorbidities with chronic physical conditions in schizophrenia, to identify gender profiles of illness and to discuss findings in the light of previous research.

Methods: The PREST health database was used which combines high quality and complementary data from numerous public health care resources in the Basque Country (Spain).

Results: A total number of 2,255,406 patients were included in this study and 7331 had a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Healthcare costs of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Basque Country (Spain).

Objective: The aim of the study was to estimate the direct costs of healthcare provided to patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the Basque Country and to compare them with those of the population with chronic diseases.

Material And Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional, population-based study. Direct healthcare costs for patients aged over 35 years diagnosed with T2DM in the Basque Country (n=126,894) were calculated, stratified by age, sex and deprivation index, and compared to the costs for the population diagnosed with a chronic disease other than T2DM (n=1,347,043).

[Technical efficiency assessment of public primary care providers in the Basque Country (Spain), 2010-2013].

Objective: To evaluate the technical efficiency of primary care units operating in the Basque Health Service during the period 2010-2013, corresponding to the implementation of a care integration strategy by health authorities.

Methods: This study included 11 of the 12 primary care units in the Basque Health Service during the period 2010-2013. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) was used to assess the technical efficiency of the units.

Incidence of severe hypoglycaemic episodes in patients with type 2 diabetes in the Basque country: impact on healthcare costs.

Background: Hypoglycaemia is an acute complication of diabetes mellitus which poses a serious threat. This study aims to describe the annual rate of people suffering episodes of severe hypoglycaemia and to estimate the healthcare costs for individuals who have suffered such events.

Methods: A descriptive study involving all patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) from the Basque Country (period: 1/09/2010 to 31/08/2011) aged ≥35 years (N = 134,413).

Multimorbidity in risk stratification tools to predict negative outcomes in adult population.

Introduction: Risk stratification tools were developed to assess risk of negative health outcomes. These tools assess a variety of variables and clinical factors and they can be used to identify targets of potential interventions and to develop care plans. The role of multimorbidity in these tools has never been assessed.

Health-related quality of life and multimorbidity in community-dwelling telecare-assisted elders in the Basque Country.

Introduction: Multimorbidity is more common in the elderly population and negatively affects health-related quality of life (QoL). The aims of the study were to report the QoL of users of the Basque telecare public service (BTPS) and to establish its relationship with multimorbidity.

Methods: The EuroQol questionnaire was administered to 1125 users of the service.

Multimorbidity in people with type 2 diabetes in the Basque Country (Spain): Prevalence, comorbidity clusters and comparison with other chronic patients.

Background: Multimorbidity is a common problem in ageing societies and has a wide range of individual and social consequences. The objective of this study was to compare multimorbidity in a population with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) with that in other chronic patients, and identify disease clusters in patients with T2DM.

Methods: We included all citizens in the Basque Health Service aged ≥ 35 years, and identified the population with chronic conditions (from a list of 51 diseases) and those with T2DM.

Comorbidity and healthcare expenditure in women with osteoporosis living in the basque country (Spain).

Objectives. This study aimed to establish the prevalence of multimorbidity in women diagnosed with osteoporosis and to report it by deprivation index. The characteristics of comorbidity in osteoporotic women are compared to the general female chronic population, and the impact on healthcare expenditure of this population group is estimated.

The prevalence of diabetes-related complications and multimorbidity in the population with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Basque Country.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with a diverse range of pathologies. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of diabetes-related complications, the prevalence of coexistent chronic conditions and to report multimorbidity in people with type 2 diabetes living in the Basque Country.

Methods: Administrative databases, in four cross sections (annually from 2007 to 2011) were consulted to analyse 149,015 individual records from patients aged ≥ 35 years with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Prevalence of depression in adults with type 2 diabetes in the Basque Country: relationship with glycaemic control and health care costs.

Background: The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of depression in the population diagnosed with diabetes type 2 and to test the hypothesis that the presence of depression in such cases was associated with a) worse glycaemic control, and b) higher healthcare costs.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis, from 1st September 2010 to 31st August 2011, among patients with type 2 diabetes aged 35 years and over in the Basque Country. It was identified how many of them had also depression.

[Development of a predictive risk model for unplanned admissions in the Basque Country].

Background: Hospitalizations are undesirable events that can be avoided to some degree through proactive interventions. The objective of this study is to determine the capability of models based on Adjusted Clinical Groups (ACG), in our milieu, to identify patients who will present unplanned admissions in the following months to their classification, in both the general population and in subpopulations of chronically ill patients (diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure).

Methods: Cross-sectional study which analyzes data from a two year period, of all residents over 14 years old in the Basque Country (N = 1,964,337).

Prevalence of multimorbidity according to the deprivation level among the elderly in the Basque Country.

Background: Multimorbidity is clearly a major challenge for healthcare systems. However, currently, its magnitude and impact on healthcare expenditures is still not well known. The objective of this paper is to present an overview of the prevalence of multimorbidity by deprivation level in the elderly population of the Basque Country.

Socioeconomic variation in the burden of chronic conditions and health care provision--analyzing administrative individual level data from the Basque Country, Spain.

Background: Chronic diseases are posing an increasing challenge to society, with the associated burden falling disproportionally on more deprived individuals and geographical areas. Although the existence of a socioeconomic health gradient is one of the main concerns of health policy across the world, health information systems commonly do not have reliable data to detect and monitor health inequalities and inequities. The objectives of this study were to measure the level of socioeconomic-related inequality in prevalence of chronic diseases and to investigate the extent and direction of inequities in health care provision.