Association between transfusion status and clinical and economic outcomes in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes from the physicians' perspective.

BACKGROUND: The current study investigated physicians' understanding of the impact of transfusion status (TS) on clinical and economic outcomes in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). MATERIALS & METHODS: 378 physicians primarily specializing in hematology/oncology across five European countries completed the survey. The survey asked physicians for their perspectives on the impact of TS on risk of death, risk of progression to acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chance of leukemia-free survival, and number of significant bleeding events, infection events, hospitalizations, and emergency room (ER) visits. RESULTS: Physicians estimated that compared to transfusion-dependent (TD) patients, transfusion-independent (TI) patients had a 37.6% reduced risk of death, lower risk of progression to AML, and lower risk of non-leukemic death, for all MDS risk levels. TD patients who became TI after treatment were estimated to have 40.6% reduced risk of death and 34% reduced risk of progression to AML, compared to TD patients who remained TD. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with TD patients, physicians estimated that TI patients have fewer events of infection and significant bleeding, and experience fewer hospitalizations and ER visits per person per year. Overall, physicians reported better outcomes for TI patients. New treatment options for patients with MDS to reduce or eliminate transfusion burden are warranted.

Physicians' experience in blood supply shortages and the top factors that impact the clinical, economic, and humanistic outcomes of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes in 5 European countries.

OBJECTIVE: Blood supply shortages may create unnecessary burden, including treatment delay, worsened quality of life, or increased healthcare resource utilization in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). This study examined physicians' experience with blood supply shortages in the MDS population. Additionally, physicians' perspectives on the factors that impact clinical, economic, and humanistic outcomes of patients with MDS were investigated. METHODS: A total of 378 physicians primarily specializing in hematology/oncology across the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain completed the survey (n ≈ 75 in each country). Physicians answered questions regarding adequacy of blood supply for patients with MDS who require red blood cell (RBC) transfusions and identified factors impacting the clinical, economic, and humanistic outcomes in the MDS population. RESULTS: Over 65% of physicians reported that their patients with MDS requiring RBC transfusions encountered RBC transfusion delays due to blood supply shortage. Among physicians who reported delays, 13.8% of patients were impacted, ranging from 11.0% in Spain to 19.4% in Italy. On average, patients experienced a 4.2-day delay in receiving RBC transfusions due to blood supply shortages, and 16.7% of patients required additional healthcare provider visits. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, threshold hemoglobin levels, and age were the top factors reported by more than two-thirds of physicians that impact outcomes of patients with MDS. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the need for new treatments in MDS that reduce transfusions and thus blood supply needs, and that would have a beneficial effect on clinical, humanistic, and economic outcomes.