Clinical and Economic Burden Associated with Prolonged Air Leaks Among Patients Undergoing Thoracic Resection: A Retrospective Database Analysis.

Purpose: Prophylactic use of lung sealants among patients undergoing thoracic resection has been reported for the management of intraoperative air leaks and is associated with a lower incidence of prolonged air leak (PAL) and a shorter length of stay (LOS). This study estimated the incremental economic and clinical burden of PAL among patients with lung sealants used during thoracic resection in the United States. Patients and Methods: This retrospective analysis examined hospital data (Premier Healthcare Database) for adults (age ≥18 years) with inpatient thoracic resection between October 2015 - March 2021 (first admission=index) and lung sealant used during their procedure. Follow-up extended through 90 days post-discharge. Patients were grouped by presence/absence of PAL (ie, diagnosis of post-procedural air leak or post-procedural pneumothorax with associated LOS exceeding 5 days). Outcomes included intensive care unit (ICU) days, total index hospital costs, all-cause 30-, 60-, and 90-day readmission, discharge status, and in-hospital mortality. Generalized linear models quantified associations between PAL and outcomes, accounting for hospital-level clustering, and patient, procedure, and hospital/provider characteristics. Results: Among the 9727 patients included for study (51.0% female, 83.9% white, mean age 66 years), 12.5% had PAL, which was associated with significant incremental increases in ICU days (0.93 days, p<0.001) and total hospital cost ($11,119, p<0.001). PAL also decreased the likelihood of discharge to home (from 91.3% to 88.1%, p<0.001) and increased the risk of readmission within 30, 60, and 90 days by up to 34.0% (from 9.3% to 12.6%;11.7% to 15.4%;13.6% to 17.2%, respectively), all p<0.01. Absolute risk of mortality was low, but two times higher in patients with PAL versus those without PAL (2.4% vs 1.1%, p=0.001). Conclusion: This analysis demonstrates that despite the prophylactic use of lung sealants, PAL continues to put a burden on the healthcare system, highlighting an unmet need for improved sealant technology.

Trends and patterns of initial percutaneous nephrolithotomy and subsequent procedures among commercially-insured US adults with urinary system stone disease: a 10-year population-based study.

PURPOSE: To describe trends and patterns of initial percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) and subsequent procedures from 2010 to 2019 among commercially-insured US adults with urinary system stone disease (USSD). METHODS: Retrospective study of administrative data from the IBM® MarketScan® Database. Eligible patients were aged 18-64 years and underwent PCNL between 1/1/2010 and 12/31/2019. Measures of interest for analysis of trends and patterns included the setting of initial PCNL (inpatient vs. outpatient), percutaneous access (1 vs. 2-step), and the incidence, time course, and type of subsequent procedures (extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy [SWL], ureteroscopy [URS], and/or PCNL) performed up-to 3 years after initial PCNL. RESULTS: A total of 8,348 patients met the study eligibility criteria. During the study period, there was a substantial shift in the setting of initial PCNL, from 59.9% being inpatient in 2010 to 85.3% being outpatient by 2019 (P < 0.001). The proportion of 1 vs. 2-step initial PCNL fluctuated over time, with a low of 15.1% in 2016 and a high of 22.0% in 2019 but showed no consistent yearly trend (P = 0.137). The Kaplan-Meier estimated probability of subsequent procedures following initial PCNL was 20% at 30 days, 28% at 90 days, and 50% at 3 years, with slight fluctuations by initial PCNL year. From 2010 to 2019, the proportion of subsequent procedures accounted for by URS increased substantially (from 30.8 to 51.8%), whereas SWL decreased substantially (from 39.5 to 14.7%) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: From 2010 to 2019, PCNL procedures largely shifted to the outpatient setting. Subsequent procedures after initial PCNL were common, with most occurring within 90 days. URS has become the most commonly-used subsequent procedure type.

Comparison of Clinical Outcomes of Gripping Surface Technology Staple Reloads versus Standard Staple Reloads Used with Manual Linear Surgical Staplers.

Purpose: Linear surgical staplers reduce rates of surgical adverse events (bleeding, leaks, infections) compared to manual sutures thereby reducing patient risks, surgeon workflow disruption, and healthcare costs. However, further improvements are needed. Ethicon Gripping Surface Technology (GST) reloads, tested and approved by regulatory authorities in combination with powered staplers, may reduce surgical risks through improved tissue grip. While manual staplers are used in some regions due to affordability, clinical data on GST reloads used with manual staplers are unavailable. This study compared surgical adverse event rates of manual staplers with GST vs standard reloads. These data may be used for label changes in China and Latin America. Patients and Methods: Patients undergoing general or thoracic surgery between October 1, 2015 and August 31, 2021 using ECHELON FLEX™ manual staplers with GST or standard reloads were identified from the Premier Healthcare Database. GST reloads were compared to standard reloads for non-inferiority in bleeding and anastomotic leak for general surgery. Secondary outcomes included sepsis for general surgery, and bleeding and prolonged air leak for thoracic surgery. Covariate balancing was performed using stable balancing weights. Results: The general and thoracic surgery cohorts contained 4571 (GST: 2780; standard: 1791) and 814 (GST: 514; standard: 300) patients, respectively. GST reloads were non-inferior to standard reloads for bleeding and anastomotic leak (adjusted cumulative incidence ratio: 1.02 [90% CI: 0.71, 1.45] and 1.03 [90% CI: 0.72, 1.46], respectively) for general surgery. Compared with standard reloads, GST reloads had a similar incidence of sepsis (2.2% vs 2.1%) for general surgery and lower incidences of bleeding (9.5% vs 16.0%) and prolonged air leak (12.6% vs 14.0%,) for thoracic surgery. Conclusion: GST reloads, compared to standard reloads, used with ECHELON FLEX™ manual staplers had comparable perioperative bleeding and anastomotic leak for general surgery, and lower incidences of safety events for thoracic surgery.

Incremental Healthcare Cost Implications of Retreatment Following Ureteroscopy or Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy for Upper Urinary Tract Stones: A Population-Based Study of Commercially-Insured US Adults.

Purpose: This study describes the incremental healthcare costs associated with retreatment among adults undergoing ureteroscopy (URS) or percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) for upper urinary tract stones (UUTS). Patients and Methods: The IBM® MarketScan® Commercial Database was used to identify adults aged 18-64 years with UUTS treated with URS or PCNL between January 2010 and December 2019. Patients had 12 months of continuous insurance coverage before (baseline) and after (follow-up) the first (index) procedure. The primary outcome was total all-cause healthcare costs measured over the 365-day follow-up period, not inclusive of index costs. Generalized linear models were used to estimate the incremental costs associated with retreatment within 90 (early) or 91-365 days post-index (later) relative no retreatment. The models adjusted for demographics, comorbidities, stone(s) location, treatment setting, procedural characteristics (eg, 1-step vs 2-step PCNL) and index year. Results: Approximately 23% (27,402/119,800) of URS patients were retreated (82% had early retreatments). The adjusted mean total cost was $10,478 (95% CI: $10,281-$10,675) for patients with no retreatment, $25,476 (95% CI: $24,947-$26,004) for early retreatment ($14,998 incremental increase, p<0.01), and $32,868 [95% CI: $31,887-$33,850] for later retreatment ($22,391 incremental increase, p<0.01). Approximately 36% (1957/5516) of PCNL patients were retreated (78% had early retreatments). The adjusted mean total cost was $13,446 (95% CI: $12,659-$14,273) for patients with no retreatment, $37,036 [95% CI: $34,926-$39,145]) for early retreatment ($23,570 incremental increase, p<0.01), and $35,359 (95% CI: $32,234-$38,484) for later retreatment ($21,893 incremental increase, p<0.01). Conclusion: Retreatment during the first year following URS or PCNL was needed in 23% and 36% of patients, respectively, and was associated with an economic burden of up to $23,500 per patient. The high rate of retreatment and associated costs demonstrate there is an unmet need to improve mid- to long-term results in URS and PCNL.

Retrospective Comparison of Clinical and Economic Outcomes of Non-Donor Patients Undergoing Radical Nephrectomy Using One of Two Different Linear Stapler Technologies for Transection of the Renal Vessels: Fixed-Height Gripping Surface Reloads vs Variable-Height Reloads.

Purpose: To compare outcomes of non-donor patients undergoing radical nephrectomy using fixed-height gripping surface (FHGS) vs variable-height Tri-Staple™ (VHTS) reloads for transection of the renal vessels. Patients and Methods: Using the Premier Healthcare Database of US hospital discharge records, we selected non-donor patients undergoing inpatient radical nephrectomy with dates of admission between 1 October 2015, and 31 December 2020 (first=index admission). The primary outcome was in-hospital hemostasis-related complications (hemorrhage, acute posthemorrhagic anemia, and/or procedure to control bleeding) during the index admission. Secondary outcomes included index admission intraoperative injury, blood transfusion, conversion from minimally invasive to open surgery, total hospital costs, length of stay (LOS), discharge status, and mortality as well as 30-day all-cause inpatient readmission. We used stable balancing weights to balance the FHGS and VHTS groups on numerous patient, procedure, and hospital/provider characteristics, allowing a maximum post-weighting standardized mean difference ≤0.01 for all covariates; we also exactly matched the groups on laterality (right vs left kidney) and intended surgical approach (open, laparoscopic, robotic). We used bivariate multilevel mixed-effects generalized linear models accounting for hospital-level clustering to compare the study outcomes between the FHGS and VHTS groups. Results: After weighting, the FHGS and VHTS groups comprised 2952 and 795 patients, respectively. The observed incidence proportion of the primary outcome of hemostasis-related complications during the index admission was similar between the groups (8.6% for FHGS vs 9.0% for VHTS, difference 0.4% [95% CI -3.2% to 2.5%], P=0.808). Differences between the FHGS and VHTS groups were not statistically significant for any of the secondary outcomes. Conclusion: Endoscopic surgical staplers have become common for transection of the renal vessels during radical nephrectomy, with FHGS and VHTS being the predominant reload types. In this retrospective study of 3747 non-donor patients undergoing radical nephrectomy, use of FHGS vs VHTS reloads was associated with similar clinical and economic outcomes.

Real-World Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Open Colorectal Surgery with Wound Closure Incorporating Triclosan-Coated Barbed Sutures: A Multi-Institution, Retrospective Database Study.

PURPOSE: Open colorectal surgery is associated with a high rate of postoperative wound complications. This is a single-arm study of real-world outcomes of triclosan-coated barbed suture (Ethicon's STRATAFIXTM Symmetric PDSTM Plus Knotless Tissue Control Device [SSPP]) used in open colorectal surgery. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study using the Premier Healthcare Database. The study included patients who underwent an inpatient open colorectal surgery with wound closure using SSPP (size 0 or 1 to increase the likelihood the suture was used in fascia) between October 2015-September 2019 (N=593). Wound complications, hospital length of stay, total hospital costs (2019 US$), and all-cause readmissions post-discharge were measured. Post-hoc multivariable analyses compared wound complications between non-elective admissions and elective. RESULTS: The overall incidence of wound complications within 30-days post-procedure was 7.1%, with the majority of those being surgical site infections (SSI) (6.0%). Mean operation time was 190 (standard deviation [SD]=64.4) mins, postoperative length of stay was 8.1 (SD=11.9) days, 30-day readmission rate was 11.8%, and total hospital costs were $31,693 (SD=$40,076). As compared with published literature on the rate of SSI in colorectal surgery, the 30-day rate of SSI in the present study (6.0%) fell within the range of 5.4% to 18.2% for open colorectal surgery and from 4.3% to 21.5% for combined open and minimally invasive procedures. Multivariable-adjusted incidence proportions of wound complications were slightly lower for non-elective admissions and did not differ significantly from those of elective admissions. CONCLUSION: The rate of wound complications observed in the present study falls within the range of rates previously reported in the literature, suggesting a safe and effective role for SSPP in open colorectal surgery. In post hoc analyses, the adjusted rate of wound complications was similar between non-elective and elective admissions. Head-to-head studies are required to determine comparative advantages or disadvantages for SSPP versus other sutures.

Evolving Treatment Patterns for Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients in the United States in April 2020-July 2020.

We sought to examine the trend (April-July) in the treatment patterns among hospitalized COVID-19 patients using the Premier Healthcare Database (PHD). In the analysis, we identified 53,264 patients from 302 hospitalsthat continuously provided inpatient data from April 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020 to the PHD, a nationwide, population-based multihospital research database in the US. We used generalized estimating equations (GEE) models to assess changes in the proportion of therapies used during the study period. After adjusting for patient and provider factors, a decline in hydroxychloroquine and an increase in azithromycin and dexamethasone were observed among COVID-19 patients during the 4-month study period.

Healthcare Resource Utilization and Costs in Celiac Disease: A US Claims Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Celiac disease (CeD) is a lifelong immune-mediated enteropathy in which dietary gluten triggers an inflammatory reaction in the small intestine. This retrospective cohort study examines healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and costs between patients with CeD and matched controls. METHODS: Patients with CeD (cases) with an endoscopic biopsy and ≥2 medical encounters with a CeD diagnosis between January 1, 2010, and October 1, 2015, were identified in the MarketScan databases. The date of the first claim with a CeD diagnosis on or after the endoscopic biopsy was the index date. Cases were matched 1:1 to patients without CeD (controls) on demographic characteristics and Deyo-Charlson Comorbidity Index score. Clinical characteristics, all-cause, and CeD-related HRU and costs (adjusted to 2017 US dollars) were compared between cases and controls during the 12 months before (baseline) and 24 months after (follow-up) the index date. RESULTS: A total of 11,008 cases (mean age 40.6 years, 71.3% women) were matched to 11,008 controls. During the follow-up, a higher proportion of cases had all-cause and CeD-related HRU including inpatient admissions, emergency department visits, gastroenterologist visits, dietician visits, endoscopic biopsies, and gastroenterology imaging (all P ≤ 0.002). Incremental all-cause and CeD-related costs were in the first ($7,921 and $2,894) and second ($3,777 and $935) year of follow-up, driven by outpatient services costs. DISCUSSION: In this US national claims database analysis, there was evidence of an increase in both all-cause and CeD-related HRU and related costs in patients with CeD compared with matched patients without CeD, suggesting a significant economic burden associated with CeD.

Treatment Patterns and Relapses Among Newly Treated Multiple Sclerosis Patients From a Retrospective Claims Analysis.

PURPOSE: Although all disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) reduce risk of relapse in multiple sclerosis (MS), many factors, including route of administration, influence selection of first-line DMT. Knowledge of real-world treatment patterns and effectiveness in reducing relapses across DMTs is important to understanding factors influencing this choice. This study sought to describe treatment patterns and relapses among newly treated adults with MS and by DMT route of administration (oral, injectable, and infusion). METHODS: IBM MarketScan research databases were used to identify MS adults newly initiating DMTs (index event) from January 1, 2011-April 1, 2016, who had 12 months of continuous preindex and postindex medical and pharmacy benefits. Newly treated patients were those with ≥2 nondiagnostic claims with an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (340) or Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (G35) code and no DMT prescription claims in the 12 months' preindex. Persistence and adherence were measured from index until the earliest of ≥60 days without DMT, switching DMTs, or end of follow-up. Relapses were defined using a validated claims-based algorithm and measured in the 12-month preindex and postindex periods. Regression analysis adjusting for patient characteristics and prior relapses was used to determine the association between DMT route of administration and odds of 12-month persistence, odds of postindex relapse, and number of postindex relapses. FINDINGS: Of 9378 newly treated MS patients meeting inclusion criteria; average age was 46.7 years, and 73.3% were female. Most patients initiated an injectable (65.5%) or oral (26.1%) DMT. Relapses decreased markedly from preindex to postindex (32.9%-24.0%), which was highest among oral users (35.8%-21.6%). Patients with no (vs ≥3) relapses preindex were more likely to be relapse free postindex (81.6% vs 31.4%). Nonpersistence (39.1% overall) was lowest among oral users (33.4%) and higher among those with versus without a postindex relapse (50.6% vs 35.5%). Patients initiating oral versus injectable agents were more likely to be persistent at 12 months (odds ratio [OR], 1.45; p < 0.0001) and less likely to relapse (OR, 0.75; p < 0.0001) postindex. Switches were uncommon (~10%) across cohorts. Preindex relapses were associated with increased odds of postindex relapses (OR, 1.73; p < 0.0001) but not with odds of persistence at 12 months. IMPLICATIONS: The 12-month nonpersistence rate was high among all MS patients but lower among oral users. Oral users were also less likely to relapse postindex. Despite the effectiveness of DMTs in reducing relapses, the low persistence, lack of switching to a new DMT, and continued relapses highlight an unmet need in the MS treatment landscape.

Comparative Effectiveness Assessment of Two Powered Surgical Stapling Platforms in Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Retrospective Matched Study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare outcomes between the two latest innovations in powered stapling technology, the ECHELON FLEX™ GST system (GST) and the Signia™ Stapling System (SIG), among patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy for obesity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using the Premier Healthcare Database of US hospital discharge records, we selected patients undergoing inpatient sleeve gastrectomy with dates of surgical admission between March 1, 2017 (SIG launch), and December 31, 2018. Outcomes measured during the surgical admission included in-hospital hemostasis-related complications (bleeding/transfusion; primary outcome), leak, total hospital costs, length of stay (LOS), and operating room time; 30-, 60-, and 90-day all-cause inpatient readmissions were also examined. We used 1:1 cardinality matching to balance the GST and SIG groups on numerous patient and hospital/provider characteristics, allowing a maximum standardized mean difference (SMD) ≤0.05 for all matching covariates. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) accounting for hospital-level clustering were used to compare the study outcomes between the GST and SIG groups. RESULTS: Of the 5573 identified cases, there were 491 patients in each group (982 total) after matching. The observed incidence proportion of hemostasis-related complications during the surgical admission was lower in the GST group as compared with the SIG group (3 events/491 [0.61%] vs 11 events/491 [2.24%]; odds ratio [SIG=reference] = 0.28, 95% CI=0.13-0.60, P=0.0012). Differences between the GST and SIG groups were not statistically significant for leak, total hospital costs, LOS, OR time, and all-cause inpatient readmission at 30, 60, and 90 days. CONCLUSION: In this retrospective study of 982 matched patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy, the ECHELON FLEX™ GST system was associated with a lower rate of hemostasis-related complications as compared with the Signia™ Stapling System. Further controlled prospective studies are needed to confirm the validity of this finding.

Treatment Patterns Among Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Initiating Second-Line Disease-Modifying Therapy.

OBJECTIVE: Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) can reduce multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse rates; however, effectiveness of treatments may vary. It is important to understand real-world treatment patterns in the context of MS relapses. We describe MS relapses related to treatment patterns among patients who switch treatment after their first DMT. METHODS: IBM MarketScan research databases were used to identify adult patients with MS who switched DMTs (index-first switch) after being newly treated with a DMT from January 2009 through March 2017, with 12 months of continuous enrollment pre- and post-index. Non-persistence was defined as discontinuing (at least 60 days without DMT) or switching DMTs. MS relapses were defined using a validated claims-based algorithm. Multivariable analysis was used to examine odds of 12-month persistence, odds of post-index relapse, and number of relapses. RESULTS: In total, 4121 patients with MS met all inclusion criteria (mean age 46.4 years; female 76.2%). Overall, 49.6% switched to an oral DMT, 36.5% to an injectable DMT, and 13.9% to an infusion DMT. Switching DMTs resulted in a 32.4% reduction in relapses between pre- and post-index. Only 54.6% of patients were persistent throughout the first year. Patients who switched to oral DMTs had 95% higher adjusted odds of persistence and 18% lower adjusted odds of a post-index period relapse than patients who switched to injectable DMTs. The number of baseline relapses was not associated with persistence but with 68% higher odds of a post-index relapse, with each additional baseline relapse associated with a 44% increase in number of post-index relapses. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with MS who switched DMTs, persistence was consistently low regardless of treatment. Although persistence with oral DMTs was slightly higher than with injectable DMTs, overall results indicate poor persistence to second-line therapy and highlight the need to improve long-term persistence with DMTs.

Impact of Plan-Level Access Restrictions on Effectiveness of Biologics Among Patients with Rheumatoid or Psoriatic Arthritis.

BACKGROUND: Novel disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) can slow disease progression among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA); however, some health plans require prior authorization (PA) or step therapy for access to treatments. OBJECTIVES: This retrospective study compared treatment effectiveness among RA and PsA patients with and without plan-level access restrictions to biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs) or targeted synthetic DMARDs (tsDMARDs). Medication adherence, a component of effectiveness, was also examined as a secondary outcome. METHODS: RA and PsA patients aged 18-64 years with one or more claims for subcutaneous bDMARDs between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015, with plan-level access data available, were identified within the IBM MarketScan claims database. The primary outcome was treatment effectiveness assessed during the 12 months following the first qualifying DMARD claim. Multivariate modeling examined the correlation between access restrictions and treatment effectiveness. Medication adherence during the 12-month follow-up period was also compared between patients with and without access restrictions. RESULTS: Among 3993 RA and 1713 PsA patients, 34.2 and 35.1%, respectively, had access restrictions, of whom 70.5 and 78.9%, respectively, had plans with step therapy. Compared with patients whose plans did not require step therapy, odds of treatment effectiveness were 19% lower (odds ratio [OR] 0.81, 95% CI: 0.67-0.98; p  = 0.033) for RA patients and 27% lower (OR 0.73, 95% CI: 0.55-0.98; p = 0.037) for PsA patients in plans with step therapy. Differences in effectiveness were driven by differences in medication adherence, the odds of which were 19% lower (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.68-0.96; p = 0.014) among RA patients and 29% lower (OR 0.71, 95% CI: 0.54-0.94; p = 0.017) among PsA patients in plans with versus without step therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with patients in plans without access restrictions or with PA only, RA and PsA patients in insurance plans with step therapy had lower odds of treatment effectiveness, mainly due to lower odds of adhering to treatment, during the 12 months following subcutaneous bDMARD initiation.

Healthcare resource utilization and costs before and after lacosamide initiation as adjunctive therapy among patients with epilepsy in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate all-cause and epilepsy-specific healthcare resource utilization and costs following lacosamide (LCM) initiation as adjunctive therapy for the treatment of epilepsy. METHODS: A noninterventional retrospective database analysis was conducted that examined patients diagnosed as having epilepsy who added LCM to existing antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy between 2009 and 2016 (the first LCM prescription was the index event). This study used a single-case design whereby patients served as their own controls. Patients were further required to have a minimum of 12 months of continuous eligibility before (preindex period) and after (postindex period) their index event. In the 12-month postindex period, the only allowed AED regimen change was the addition of LCM. Demographic and clinical characteristics were measured at index and during the preindex period, respectively. All-cause and epilepsy-specific healthcare resource utilization and costs were measured and compared in the pre- and postindex periods. Paired t- and McNemar's tests were conducted to assess the significant differences between pre- and postindex. Univariate analyses were used to analyze the impact of LCM on specific subpopulations. RESULTS: The study sample comprised of 2171 patients: mean (standard deviation [SD]) age: 38.9 (19.3) years; 52.6% female. Just over half (56%) of these patients were on monotherapy before adding LCM. Prior to adding LCM, 28.8% of patients had an epilepsy-specific inpatient (IP) admission, and 35.7% of patients had an all-cause IP admission, compared with 18.2% and 26.1% of patients in the post-LCM period, respectively (both p < 0.0001). Likewise, 35.6% of patients had an epilepsy-specific emergency room (ER) visit, and 50.0% had an all-cause ER visit prior to adding LCM, compared with 23.8% and 42.1% in post-LCM, respectively (both p < 0.0001). After adding LCM, one-year mean [SD] epilepsy-specific IP admission costs decreased by 42.9% ($13,647 [$52,290] to $7788 [$32,321]), and all-cause IP admission costs decreased by 38.6% ($20,654 [$72,716] to $12,688 [$46,120]) (both p < 0.0001). One-year epilepsy-specific mean [SD] ER costs decreased by 35.2% ($691 [$1756] to $448 [$1909]; p < 0.0001), and all-cause ER cost decreased by 17.8% ($1217 [$3014] to $1000 [$2970]; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Epilepsy-related IP hospitalizations and ER visits (indicators of seizures) were significantly reduced in patients with epilepsy 12 months after adding LCM as an adjunctive therapy to existing AED treatment in a real-world setting, leading to reduced healthcare resource utilization and epilepsy costs.

Clinical Outcomes and Healthcare Resource Utilization for Gastrointestinal Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease after Allogeneic Transplantation for Hematologic Malignancy: A Retrospective US Administrative Claims Database Analysis.

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is the leading cause of nonrelapse mortality among patients who receive allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). In its acute form (aGVHD), GVHD involves the skin, liver, and gastrointestinal (GI) tract, with GI involvement most strongly associated with poor prognosis. This retrospective cohort study used US healthcare claims data for 2008 to 2015 to identify patients who developed GI aGVHD after allo-HCT performed as curative treatment for hematologic malignancy and compared them with patients who did not develop aGVHD in terms of outcomes related to survival, infections, healthcare resource utilization (HRU), and costs. Whereas the patients without aGVHD saw a 66% improvement in 1-year survival between 2009 and 2015, this effect was not observed in patients with GI aGVHD. Compared with patients without evidence of aGVHD, patients with GI aGVHD were 3.9-fold more likely to develop an infection in the year after allo-HCT. Similarly, patients who developed GI aGVHD were 4.3-fold more likely to have an inpatient admission after allo-HCT discharge, and such an admission cost on average 47% more than an admission for patients without aGVHD. Our findings confirm that GI involvement in aGVHD is associated with higher mortality, risk of infection, HRU, and cost compared with absence of aGVHD.

Disease-modifying antirheumatic drug initiation among patients newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the rate of timely disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) initiation in patients newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as recommended per a quality measure endorsed by the National Quality Forum. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of claims data from the Truven Health MarketScan commercial and Medicare claims databases. METHODS: Patients newly diagnosed with RA were identified in the claims databases. Outcomes included rate of nonbiologic or biologic DMARD initiation within 12 months of diagnosis; initiation by year (2009-2012), US state, and prescription drug plan; and time to initiation. Multivariate modeling was performed to identify factors associated with initiation or noninitiation. RESULTS: Of 40,040 newly diagnosed patients, 55.5% initiated RA therapy within 12 months, including 21,154 (52.8%) initiating DMARD therapy and 1051 (2.6%) initiating biologic DMARD therapy. Rates were similar for years 2009 (53.3%), 2010 (55.7%), 2011 (56.3%), and 2012 (56.8%), but they varied widely by US state (range, 33.3%-88.0%) and prescription plan (range, 42.6%-63.5% across 8 largest plans). Mean (SD) time to initiation of any RA therapy was 39 (65) days. Predictors of initiation included point-of-service (odds ratio [OR], 1.18) and consumer-driven/high-deductible (OR, 1.19) plans, comorbid psoriasis (OR, 1.30) or diabetes (OR, 1.17), rheumatoid factor test (OR, 3.02), and diagnosis by a rheumatologist (OR, 3.17). Predictors of noninitiation included female sex (OR, 0.94), preferred provider organization plan (OR, 0.87), higher comorbidity score (OR, 0.94), select comorbidities (OR range, 0.65-0.92), and number of prescriptions for any cause (OR, 0.98). CONCLUSIONS: Only slightly more than half of patients initiated RA therapy within 12 months of diagnosis in this commercially insured population.

Absenteeism and Indirect Economic Burden Associated With Primary and Secondary Hypogonadism: A Retrospective Matched Cohort Analysis of Employed, Commercially Insured Patients in the U.S.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the indirect economic burden incurred by patients with primary and secondary hypogonadism (HG) compared with non-HG controls using real-world data. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study using a large US administrative claims database, adult males with primary or secondary HG were selected from 2010 to 2014. Non-HG controls had no evidence of HG from 2009 to 2014 and were matched on age, insurance type, and geographic region to HG patients. Outcomes included absenteeism and associated costs. RESULTS: HG (vs non-HG) patients had a significant 15% increase in nonrecreational absenteeism hours (adjusted odds ratio 1.15, P = 0.002) and associated costs ($2152 vs $1172, P < 0.001) post-index after adjusting for pre-period differences. CONCLUSION: The indirect economic burden of HG is significant. Further research is needed to test whether treatment with testosterone can help alleviate the indirect burden associated with HG.

Healthcare resource utilization and costs associated with herpes zoster in the US.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the economic burden of herpes zoster (HZ) on the US healthcare system among an immunocompetent population. METHODS: Claims data from the MarketScan Research databases for 2008-2011 were extracted to determine the incremental healthcare resource utilization (RU) and direct medical costs associated with HZ. Immunocompetent HZ-patients were identified and directly matched 1:1 with immunocompetent non-HZ controls using demographic and clinical variables. Analysis was limited to claims 21 days prior to through the first year following HZ diagnosis. Cases with post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) were analyzed separately. RESULTS: A total of 98,916 HZ-patients were matched to controls. HZ-patients had a mean age of 50.4 (SD = 18.8) years and 56.6% were females. HZ-cases had significantly higher RU (0.016 inpatient visits, 0.153 ER visits, 2.116 outpatient office visits, and 3.730 other outpatient services) compared to controls (p < 0.001). Differences increased substantially in the presence of PHN. Total mean incremental healthcare costs for HZ-cases were $1308 and quadrupled to $5463 in those with PHN (both p < 0.001). Overall, primary cost drivers were outpatient prescriptions and other outpatient services. For those with PHN, inpatient services also played a significant role. LIMITATIONS: This study was limited to only those individuals with US commercial health coverage or private Medicare supplemental coverage; therefore, results of this analysis may not be generalizable to HZ patients outside of the US, with other health insurance or without coverage. CONCLUSIONS: HZ presents a significant economic and resource burden on the US healthcare system among immunocompetent patients of nearly all ages, particularly when complicated by PHN.

Short- and longer-term health-care resource utilization and costs associated with acute ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVES: The mean lifetime cost of ischemic stroke is approximately $140,048 in the United States, placing stroke among the top 10 most costly conditions among Medicare beneficiaries. The objective of this study was to describe the health-care resource utilization and costs in the year following hospitalization for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). METHODS: This retrospective claims analysis quantifies utilization and costs following inpatient admission for AIS among the commercially insured and Medicare beneficiaries in the Truven Health databases. Patients who were 18 years or older and continuously enrolled for 12 months before and after an AIS event occurring (index) between January 2009 and December 2012 were identified. Patients with AIS in the year preindex were excluded. Demographic and clinical characteristics were evaluated at admission and in the preindex, respectively. Direct costs, readmissions, and inpatient length of stay (LOS) were described in the year postindex. RESULTS: The eligible populations comprised 20,314 commercially insured patients and 31,037 Medicare beneficiaries. Average all-cause costs were $61,354 and $44,929 (commercial and Medicare, respectively) in the first year after the AIS. Approximately 50%-55% of total 12-month costs were incurred between day 31 and day 365 following the incident AIS. One quarter (24.6%) of commercially insured patients and 38.8% of Medicare beneficiaries were readmitted within 30 days with 16.6% and 71.7% (commercial and Medicare, respectively) of those having a principal diagnosis of AIS. The average AIS-related readmission length of stay was nearly three times that of the initial hospitalization for both commercially insured patients (3.8 vs 10.8 days) and Medicare beneficiaries (4.0 vs 10.8 days). CONCLUSION: In addition to the substantial costs of the initial hospitalization of an AIS, these costs double within the year following this event. Given the high cost associated with AIS, new interventions reducing either the acute or longer-term burden of AIS are needed.

Annual incidence rates of herpes zoster among an immunocompetent population in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Herpes zoster (HZ), also known as shingles, is a painful and commonly occurring condition in the United States. In spite of a universally recommended vaccine for use in immunocompetent adults aged 60 years and older, HZ continues to impact the American public, and a better understanding of its current incidence is needed. The objective of the current study is to estimate the overall and age- and gender-specific incidence rates (IRs) of HZ among an immunocompetent US population in 2011 following availability of a vaccine. METHODS: Claims data from the Truven Health MarketScan® Research databases between 01/01/2011 and 12/31/2011 were extracted. Immunocompetent adult patients, enrolled as of January 1, 2011 were analyzed. The denominator was defined as eligible subjects who were immunocompetent, had no evidence of zoster vaccination, and no diagnosis of HZ (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis code 053.xx) in the 90 days prior to January 1, 2011. Subjects contributed person-days to the denominator until the occurrence of one of the following events: end of continuous enrollment in the database, a claim for zoster vaccination, diagnosis of HZ or end of the observation period (December 31, 2011). The numerator was defined as enrollees within the denominator file exhibiting evidence of HZ. Annual IRs were calculated for the entire population in the database as well as by gender and age group; standardized IRs were also produced using the 2010 US Census data. RESULTS: The overall annual IR of HZ across all ages was 4.47 per 1000 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.44-4.50) which monotonically increased with age from 0.86 (95% CI: 0.84-0.88) for those aged ≤ 19 to 12.78 (95% CI: 12.49-13.07) for patients ≥ 80 years. The IR was 8.46 (95% CI: 8.39-8.52) among adults ≥ 50 years and 10.46 (95% CI: 10.35-10.56) among those aged ≥ 60 years. Women compared to men had higher HZ incidence (5.25, 95% CI: 5.21-5.29 vs. 3.66, 95% CI: 3.62-3.69) and this was seen across all age groups. When adjusted for age and gender using 2010 US Census data, the annual IR was 4.63 per 1000 person-years (95% CI: 4.61-4.66). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the availability of a vaccine, HZ remains common among immunocompetent adults in the US with incidence rates of HZ observed to increase with age and be higher in women than men.