The effect of adjunctive mood stabilizers on antipsychotic utilization pattern and health resource utilization for Medicaid enrollees with schizophrenia

ABSTRACT

Background: Prescribing adjunctive mood stabilizers to manage schizophrenia is prevalent, despite the lack of substantial evidence to support the long-term use of this treatment regimen.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of using adjunctive mood stabilizers on antipsychotic utilization, total health expenditures, inpatient hospital­izations, long-term care stays, and emergency room (ER) visits for patients with schizophrenia.

Methods: Georgia Medicaid claims from 1999 through 2001 were analyzed to identify recipients diagnosed with schizophrenia (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification [ICD?9?CM]: 295.XX). The treatment groups consisted of subjects who received combination therapy of mood stabilizers and anti­psychotics (including both atypical and typical medica­tions), while the comparison group consisted of subjects who were on antipsychotic medications without exposure to the mood stabilizers under investigation. Four treatment groups (valproate, lithium, carbamazepine, and combina­tion mood stabilizer therapy) were formed based on the mood stabilizers patient received. Differences in annual health care use and expenditures were estimated between propensity score matched treatment and comparison groups controlling for comorbidity, prior utilization, demographic, and health provider specialty.

Results: During the 1?year observation period, subjects in treatment groups filled an average of 200-days supply of adjunctive mood stabilizers. These adjunctive mood stabilizer recipients had significantly longer antipsychotic treatment durations than the subjects who did not have exposure to mood stabilizers (valproate + antipsychotic vs. antipsychotic only, net difference: 56.47 days, p < 0.0001; lithium + antipsychotic vs. antipsychotic only, net difference: 90.25 days, p < 0.0001; carbamazepine + antipsychotic vs. antipsychotic only, net difference: 41.27 days, p = 0.0439; multiple mood stabilizers + anti­psychotic vs. antipsychotic only, net difference: 83.14 days, p < 0.0001). The intensive pharmacotherapy associated with treatment groups resulted in $900–$1300 higher pharmacy costs than the comparison groups (valproate + antipsychotic vs. antipsychotic only, net difference: $1218.43, p < 0.0001; lithium + antipsychotic vs. antipsychotic only, net difference: $985.79, p = 0.0015; carbamazepine + antipsychotic vs. anti­psychotic only, net difference: $911.63, p = 0.0497; multiple mood stabilizers + antipsychotic vs. antipsychotic only, net difference: $1281.91, p < 0.0047). However, there were no statistically significant differences for total health expenditures, hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and nursing home admissions between propensity-matched treatment and control groups.

Conclusions: There were no differences in health care costs or utilization of ER, long-term care, and inpatient services between schizophrenia patients who did and did not receive adjunctive mood stabilizer; however, longer anti­psychotic treatment durations were observed in patients receiving adjunctive mood stabilizers. Interpretation of these results is limited by the unknown selection bias between the treatment and the comparison groups and the relatively small number of patients in some treatment groups. The development of a better-controlled study to further evaluate this treatment regimen is warranted.     

The costs of Crohn's disease in the United States and other Western countries: a systematic review

ABSTRACT

Objective: To conduct a critical and systematic literature review of the costs of Crohn's disease (CD) in Western industrialized countries.

Research design and methods: Studies published in English that described the cost of CD in Western industrialized countries were identified using three major databases (Medline, EMBASE, and ISI Web of Science). Studies were reviewed and rated based on their relevance to cost of illness and the reliability of the estimates. All costs were adjusted for inflation to 2006 values.

Results: Estimated direct medical costs were $18 022–18 932 per patient with CD per year in the United States, and €2898–6960 in other Western countries. Hospital­izations accounted for 53–66% of direct medical costs, with an average cost-per-hospitalization of $37?459 in the United States. Estimated indirect costs accounted for 28% of the total cost in the United States and 64–69% in Europe. Costs differed greatly by disease severity. Costs of patients with severe disease were 3- to 9-fold higher than patients in remission. Direct medical costs in the United States for patients in the top 25% of total costs averaged $60?582 per year; costs of patients in the top 2% averaged more than $300?000 per year. Combining prevalence rates, the total economic burden of CD was $10.9–15.5 billion in the United States and €2.1–16.7 billion in Europe.

Limitations: This review is limited by the research quality and variations of the individual studies reviewed, and only includes English articles.

Conclusions: This updated literature synthesis demonstrated the substantial total cost burden of CD, of which hospital­izations accounted for more than half of direct medical costs.     

Review and analysis of hospitalization costs associated with antipsychotic nonadherence in the treatment of schizophrenia in the United States

ABSTRACT

Objective: To review the literature addressing the economic outcomes of nonadherence in the treatment of schizophrenia, and to utilize the review results to provide an update on the economic impact of hospitalizations among schizophrenia patients related to antipsychotic nonadherence.

Methods: A structured search of EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed and PsycINFO for years 1995–2007 was conducted to identify published English-language articles addressing the economic impact of antipsychotic nonadherence in schizophrenia. The following key words were used in the search: compliance, noncompliance, adherence, nonadherence, relapse, economic, cost, and schizophrenia. A bibliographic search of retrieved articles was performed to identify additional studies. For a study to be included, the date of publication had to be from 1/1/1995 to 6/1/2007, and the impact of nonadherence had to be measured in terms of direct healthcare costs or inpatient days. Subsequently, an estimate of incremental hospitalization costs related to antipsychotic nonadherence was extrapolated at the US national level based on the reviewed studies (nonadherence rate and hospitalization rate) and the National Inpatient Sample of Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (average daily hospitalization costs).

Results: Seven studies were identified and reviewed based on the study design, measurement of medication nonadherence, study setting, and cost outcome results. Despite the varied adherence measures across studies, all articles reviewed showed that antipsychotic nonadherence was related to an increase in hospitalization rate, hospital days or hospital costs. We also estimated that the national rehospitalization costs related to antipsychotic nonadherence was $1479 million, ranging from $1392 million to $1826 million in the US in 2005.

Limitations: The estimate of rehospitalization costs was restricted to schizophrenia patients from the Medicaid program. Additionally, the studies we reviewed did not capture the newer antipsychotic drugs (ziprasidone, aripiprazole and paliperidone). Thus, the nonadherence rates or rehospitalization rates might have changed after these new drugs came to the market, which could limit our cost estimation.

Conclusions: Poor adherence to antipsychotic medications was consistently associated with higher risk of relapse and rehospitalization and higher hospitalization costs. To reduce the cost of hospitalizations among schizophrenia patients, it seems clear that efforts to increase medication adherence should be undertaken.     

Consequences of major bleeding in hospitalized patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndromes receiving injectable anticoagulants*

ABSTRACT

Objective: To evaluate the burden of major bleed in patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE ACS) receiving injectable anticoagulation from the hospital perspective.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of inpatient medical and pharmacy data from the Premier Perspective Comparative Database between 1/1/2003 and 3/31/2006. Hospitalized patients aged ≥18 years with a diagnosis of UA or NSTEMI who received an injectable anticoagulant agent during the same hospital stay were stratified into two cohorts: those who experienced a major bleed during hospitalization and those who did not, defined by the presence of ≥1 pre-specified ICD-9 codes. Length of hospital stay (LOS), inpatient mortality, 30-day readmissions, and hospitalization costs over 30 days were assessed between the cohorts using statistical models to control for covariates which may have impacted the outcomes.

Results: Patients with a major bleed had significantly longer length of stay (13.8 days vs 5.6 days), higher readmission rates (31.3% vs 14.7%), and increased all-cause mortality (15.0% vs 4.5%) compared with patients who did not bleed. After controlling for covariates, major bleeding was significantly associated with increased length of stay, readmission rate, and mortality. Adjusted costs were $13?856 higher on average for patients with a major bleed (95% CI: $13?828–$18?884; p?<?0.0001). Subanalyses conducted on patients aged ≥65 years and those undergoing invasive procedures demonstrated higher occurrence of bleed than the general population and a similar impact on outcomes assessed.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the study showed that patients with UA or NSTEMI who experience a major bleed have significantly longer hospital stays, higher readmission rates, increased costs, and increased mortality than those without a major bleed. These data emphasize the importance of considering the safety profile in context of the efficacy of the recommended agents. The findings from this study are limited by the retrospective study design and certain endpoints, such as readmissions, may have been underreported.     

Transitioning from oral risperidone or paliperidone to once-monthly paliperidone palmitate: a real-world analysis among Veterans Health Administration patients with schizophrenia who have had at least one prior hospitalization

Abstract

Objective: To address gaps in the literature on healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and costs among patients with schizophrenia and prior hospitalization who transition from oral risperidone or paliperidone (oral ris/pali) to once-monthly paliperidone palmitate (PP1M) in a real-world setting by comparing treatment patterns, HRU, and costs 12-months pre- and post-transition to PP1M among Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients affected by schizophrenia who have had ≥1 hospitalization.

Methods: VHA patients with schizophrenia (aged ≥18?years) who initiated oral ris/pali, had ≥1 all-cause inpatient stay, and transitioned to PP1M from January 2015–March 2017 were included from the VHA database. The first transition date to PP1M was identified as the index date. Patients were required to have continuous health plan eligibility for 12?months pre- and post-PP1M. Outcomes were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank and McNemar’s test, as appropriate.

Results: The study included 319 patients (mean [SD] age?=?51.6 [4.2] years) during 12 months of baseline and follow-up. During pre-PP1M transition, 7.2% of the patients were adherent (proportion of days covered [PDC]?≥?80%) to oral ris/pali. Post-PP1M transition, 27.6% of the patients were adherent to PP1M. Comparison of HRU outcomes from the pre- to post-PP1M transition revealed significantly lower all-cause inpatient stays (3.5 vs 1.4, p?<?.0001) and shorter inpatient length of stay (43.4 vs 18.3?days, p?<?.0001). Similar trends were seen for mental health and schizophrenia-related HRU. Cost outcome comparison indicated significantly lower all-cause inpatient costs ($64,702 vs $24,147, p?<?.0001), total medical costs ($87,917 vs $56,947, p?<?.0001), and total costs ($91,181 vs $69,106, p?<?.0001). A similar trend was observed for mental health and schizophrenia-related costs.

Conclusions: Transitioning from oral ris/pali to PP1M may significantly improve HRU and provide potential cost savings in VHA patients with schizophrenia and ≥1 prior hospitalization.     

Timely confirmation of gastro-esophageal reflux disease via pH monitoring: estimating budget impact on managed care organizations*

ABSTRACT

Background: Current guidelines recommend the use of pH monitoring to confirm the diagnosis of acid reflux in patients with a normal endoscopy. This analysis evaluated the financial impact of pH monitoring with the wireless pH capsule on a managed care organization (MCO) in the United States.

Methods: A decision model was constructed to project total 1-year costs to manage GERD symptoms with and without the adoption of wireless pH capsules in a hypo­thetical MCO with 10?000 eligible adult enrollees, of whom 600 presented with GERD-like symptoms. Costs of GERD diagnosis, treatment, and symptom management for those in whom a GERD diagnosis was ruled out by pH monitor­ing were assessed. The incremental per-member-per-month (PMPM) and per-treated-member-per-month (PTMPM) costs were the primary outcomes. Data sources included literature, expert input, and standardized fee schedules.

Results: An increase of 10 percentage points in the use of pH monitoring with wireless pH capsules yielded incremental PMPM and PTMPM costs of $0.029 and $0.481, respectively. The costs of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy to the plan dropped to $236?363 from $238?086, while increases were observed in pH monitor­ing (from $16?739 to $21?973) and non-GERD therapy costs (from $1392 to $1740). The results were sensitive to the percentage of patients requiring repeat endoscopy before wireless pH monitoring and the cost of PPIs.

Conclusions: Timely and increased use of pH monitor­ing as recommended in published guidelines leads to less unnecessary use of PPIs with a modest budgetary impact on health plans.     

Costs of skin and skin structure infections due to Staphylococcus aureus: an analysis of managed- care claims*

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The incidence of skin and skin structure infections (SSSIs) due to Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is increasing. The objective of this study was to assess the costs of a treatment episode for SA-SSSIs.

Methods: This retrospective analysis used a managed-care claims database to assess the duration and costs of incident SA-SSSI episodes treated with selected antibiotics (IV vancomycin, oral linezolid, and daptomycin, termed ‘study antibiotics’). Patients were included if they had an ICD-9-CM diagnosis of an SSSI and SA between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2005. Treatment episodes began on the date of the first antibiotic and ended when the patient had fourteen consecutive days without a study antibiotic or SSSI hospitalization. Costs, represented by health plan payments for SSSIs and overall, were updated to 2005 US dollars. A generalized linear model (GLM) assessed predictors of costs.

Results: A total of 1997 patients met the selection criteria. Mean (±?SD) age was 46.3 (±?12.6) years and 55.9% of patients were male. Average episode length was 24 days, and over 95% of patients received IV vancomycin or oral linezolid as their initial study antibiotic. Patients remained on study antibiotics for an average of 16.4 days, and only 5% of patients were switched to another study antibiotic. Mean (±?SD) overall episode costs were $8865 (±?$20?003), primarily composed of inpatient and outpatient medical services. Treatment failure (i.e., study antibiotic switching or hospitalization), younger age, a diagnosis of bacteremia, osteomyelitis, or multiple complications during the episode, treatment with daptomycin, and greater Charlson co-morbidity score were significant positive predictors of overall costs. Alternatively, treatment with oral linezolid and hospitalization before the start of the outpatient treatment episode were significant negative predictors of overall costs. Mean (±?SD) SSSI-related costs were $4551 (±?$11?058).

Limitations: Medical charts and laboratory test results were not available to confirm SSSI and SA diagnoses, and no information was available regarding antibiotics received in the inpatient setting.

Conclusions: The costs of treating SA-SSSIs are substantial and vary by failure rates, co-morbidities, and type of antibiotic therapy.     

Estimating the economic impact of a half-day reduction in length of hospital stay among patients with community-acquired pneumonia in the US

ABSTRACT

Background: A recent study suggested that levofloxacin significantly reduces the hospital length of stay (LOS), by 0.5 days (p?=?0.02), relative to moxifloxacin in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The current analysis evaluated the potential economic impact of this half-day reduction in LOS.

Methods: A cost model was developed to estimate the impact of a half-day reduction in LOS for CAP hospitalizations in the US. CAP incidence, hospitalization rate, and costs were obtained from published studies in PubMed and from publicly available government sources. The average daily cost of hospitalization was estimated for fixed costs, which comprise 59% of total inpatient costs. Costs from prior years were inflated to 2007 US dollars using the consumer price index. A range of cost savings, calculated using inpatient CAP costs from several studies, was extrapolated to the US CAP population.

Results: Using the Centers for Disease Control National Hospital Discharge estimate of 5.3 days LOS for CAP, and an average cost (2007 $US) of $13,009 per CAP hospitalization, a daily fixed cost of $1448 was estimated. The resultant half-day reduction in costs associated with LOS was $724/hospitalization (range $457 to $846/hospitalization). When fixed and variable costs were considered, the estimated savings were $1227.27/episode. The incidence of CAP was estimated to be 1.9% (5.7 million cases/year based on current population census), and the estimated rate of CAP hospitalization was 19.6% (1.1 million annual hospitalizations). At $13,009/CAP-related hospitalization, total fixed inpatient costs of $8.6 billion annually were projected. The half-day reduction in LOS would therefore generate potential annual savings of approximately $813 million (range $513 million to $950 million). When total costs (fixed plus variable) were estimated, the mean savings for a half-day reduction would be approximately $1227/episode (range of $775 to $1434) or $1.37 billion annually in the US CAP population (range of $871 million to $1.6 billion). Limitations include the use of a single study for the estimation of fixed costs but a diversity of sources used for estimates of other variables, and lack of data with respect to the effects on costs of diagnostic-related groups, discounted contracts, and capitated payments.

Conclusions: A relatively small decrease in LOS in CAP can have a substantial cost impact, with estimated savings of $457 to $846 per episode or $500-$900 million annually. Additional evaluation is warranted for interpreting these cost-savings in the context of current antibiotic prescribing patterns.     

Direct medical costs associated with using vancomycin in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections: an economic model

SUMMARY

Objectives: To quantify the direct medical costs associated with using vancomycin, as inpatient treatment, in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections, in four clinical indications: complicated skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI), bacteremia, infective endocarditis (IE), and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP).

Research design and methods: A decision-analytic model was constructed to evaluate the cost of administering intravenous vancomycin. Cost inputs included hospitalization, drug procurement, materials, preparation and administration, renal function and drug monitoring, treating adverse events, and treatment failure. Probabilities and lengths of stay and treatment were obtained from the literature, an antimicrobial therapy database and clinical expert opinion. Univariate and multivariate sensitivity analyses were conducted to confirm the robustness of the baseline scenario.

Main outcome measures: The cost of using vancomycin in the four indications, including and excluding hospital cost.

Results: Whereas the drug acquisition price of vancomycin 1?g is $9.01 per dose, when all costs associated with using vancomycin were included, the cost per dose rose to $29–$43 per patient. Total costs per patient receiving multiple doses in a single course of treatment, excluding hospital room costs, were for SSTI, bacteremia, IE, and HAP, $779, $749, $2261, and $768, respectively. Total costs, including hospital length of stay, were for SSTI $23?616, bacteremia $26?446, IE $48?925, and HAP $22?493. In univariate analyses varying per diem hospital costs and length of stay had the greatest impact. Results of the multivariate analysis were comparable to the costs in the baseline scenario for all indications.

Conclusions: This analysis highlights the importance of capturing all costs associated with using a drug and not simply focusing on drug acquisition cost. Future economic analyses should identify and account for the key cost burdens of a particular treatment to calculate its true cost.     

Cost implications of IV versus oral anti-angiogenesis therapies in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma: retrospective claims database analysis*

ABSTRACT

Objective: Angiogenesis inhibitors (AI) are promising novel treatments for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, IV therapy may impose infection risk from IV catheters, and will include increased costs due to administration and transportation costs. This study evaluated the incremental costs associated with IV administration of selected AI therapies (bevacizumab off-label) compared to oral therapies (sunitinib or sorafenib) for the treatment of RCC.

Methods: Patients with ≥2 RCC claims (ICD-9: 189.0, 198.0) were identified from a US commercial health insurance claims database from 1/2004 to 12/2007. Patients receiving bevacizumab (n?=?109) were matched 1:1 to patients receiving sorafenib or sunitinib, and observed from their first AI therapy claim until the last treatment date. AI, inpatient, outpatient and pharmacy costs were calculated on a per-patient per-month (PPPM) basis over the treatment period. Costs were compared between the IV AI group and each separate oral AI group using multivariate Tobit regressions for each category separately, adjusting for demographic and baseline clinical characteristics. This study assessed costs of treatment and did not evaluate the cost-effectiveness of AIs.

Results: Mean total medical costs were $13?351, $6998, and $8213 PPPM for bevacizumab, sorafenib, and sunitinib, respectively (p?<0.05 for equality). Adjusted incremental total cost for the bevacizumab group was $4951 PPPM compared to sorafenib and $4610 PPPM compared to sunitinib (both p?<?0.05). Bevacizumab patients incurred incremental PPPM outpatient services cost compared to sorafenib and sunitinib of $2772 and $2548, respectively (both p?<?0.05).

Conclusions: Assuming median progression-free survival of 8.5 months as shown for bevacizumab (Bukowski, et al., J Clin Oncol 2007), the incremental costs would be estimated at $39?188–42?080 per patient compared to those treated with sunitinib or sorafenib. Assuming similar efficacies, oral AI therapies may result in cost savings to patients and healthcare payers over IV therapies.     

Real-world costs of ischemic stroke by discharge status

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the acute healthcare costs of ischemic stroke during hospitalization and the quarterly all-cause healthcare costs for the first year after discharge by discharge status.

Methods: Adult patients with a hospitalization with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke (ICD-9-CM: 434.xx or 436.xx) between 1 January 2006 and 31 March 2015 were identified from a large US commercial claims database. Patients were classified into three cohorts based on their discharge status from the first stroke hospitalization, i.e. dead at discharge, discharged with disability, or discharged without disability. Third-party (medical and pharmacy) and out-of-pocket costs were adjusted to 2015 USD.

Results: A total of 7919 patients dead at discharge, 45,695 patients discharged with disability, and 153,778 patients discharged without disability were included in this analysis. The overall average age was 59.7 years and 52.3% were male. During hospitalization, mean total costs (third-party and out-of-pocket) were $68,370 for patients dead at discharge, $73,903 for patients discharged with disability, and $24,448 for patients discharged without disability (p?p?p?p?Conclusion: The results demonstrated the high economic burden of ischemic stroke, especially among patients discharged with disability with the highest costs incurred during the inpatient stays.     

Hospitalization costs and resource allocation in cholecystectomy with use of intravenous versus oral acetaminophen

Objective: To evaluate intravenous (IV) acetaminophen (APAP) vs oral APAP use as adjunctive analgesics in cholecystectomy patients by comparing associated hospital length of stay (LOS), hospital costs, opioid use, and rates of nausea/vomiting, respiratory depression, and bowel obstruction.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the Premier Database (January 2012 to September 2015) including cholecystectomy patients who received either IV APAP or oral APAP. Differences in LOS, hospitalization costs, mean daily morphine equivalent dose (MED), and potential opioid-related adverse events were estimated. Multivariable logistic regression was performed for the binary outcomes and instrumental variable regressions, using the quarterly rate of IV APAP use for all hospitalizations by hospital as the instrument in two-stage least squares regressions for continuous outcomes. Models were adjusted for patient demographics, clinical risk factors, and hospital characteristics.

Results: Among 61,017 cholecystectomy patients, 31,133 (51%) received IV APAP. Subjects averaged 51 and 57 years of age, respectively, in the IV and oral APAP cohorts. In the adjusted models, IV APAP was associated with 0.42 days shorter LOS (95% CI?=?–0.58 to –0.27; p?p?p?=?.0005), and lower rates of respiratory depression (odds ratio [OR]?=?0.89, 95% CI?=?0.82–0.97; p?=?.006), and nausea and vomiting (OR?=?0.86, 95% CI?=?0.86–0.86; p?Conclusions: In patients having cholecystectomy, the addition of IV APAP to perioperative pain management is associated with shorter LOS, lower costs, reduced opioid use, and less frequent nausea/vomiting and respiratory depression compared to oral APAP. These findings should be confirmed in a prospective study comparing IV and oral APAP.     

Pharmacy cost evaluation of risperidone,olanzapine, and quetiapine for the treatment of schizophrenia in acute care inpatient settings

SUMMARY

Objective: This study examines total pharmacy cost and usage patterns of schizophrenic patients in acute mental health inpatient settings for three atypical antipsychotics – risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine. Despite the readily available unit cost information for drugs, actual pharmacy costs may deviate significantly from ‘labeled costs’. Recent research findings indicate the need for more robust evaluation of such pharmacy costs.

Research design and methods: This study used data from non-randomized inpatient retrospective charts from three acute care inpatient mental health facilities. The final pooled sample included 327 patients, of which 120 received risperidone, 153 received olanzapine, and 54 received quetiapine. Medication cost was defined as the average wholesale price (AWP) as listed in the 2001 ‘Red Book’. Propensity scoring methodology and multinomial regression were employed to reduce treatment selection bias.

Results: The observed mean daily antipsychotic drug doses were 4.45?mg (SD 2.44) for risperidone, 14.04?mg (SD 5.55) for olanzapine, and 350.33?mg (SD 228.24) for quetiapine. The corresponding mean daily drug costs were $7.66(SD $4.20) for risperidone, $8.11 (SD $5.29) for quetiapine and, $12.10 (SD $4.79) for olanzepine. Numbers adjusted for treatment selection bias show that the average daily total pharmacy cost of risperidone was $4.35 lower than olanzapine (?p < 0.001) and $1.41 lower than quetiapine (?p = 0.38). The adjusted average daily pharmacy cost of olanzapine was $4.02 higher than quetiapine (?p < 0.001). After statistical adjustment there were no significant differences between study drugs in terms of length of stay or patient functioning.

Conclusion: This study provides the first US comparison of medication utilization patterns and pharmacy costs for olanzapine, risperidone, and quetiapine administered in acute mental health care inpatient settings. While this study did not estimate the full economic value of the three antipsychotics in these inpatient settings, it demonstrated that the mean daily costs for risperidone were lower than the mean daily costs for olanzapine (?p < 0.001) and quetiapine although the later difference was not statistically significant (?p = 0.38).     

Improved perioperative blood pressure control leads to reduced hospital costs

Background: Perioperative hypertension affects 80% of cardiac surgery patients and is associated with an increased risk of complications.

Objective: To determine the relationship between perioperative blood pressure (BP) control and hospital costs for cardiac surgery in the United States (US) and estimate the potential cost reductions associated with effective therapies.

Methods: The analysis estimated hospitalization costs (2011 US dollars (USD)) for cardiac surgery when BP was controlled with intravenous (IV) antihypertensives. Patient characteristics, hospital length of stay, and clinical event rates during the initial hospitalization and post-discharge 30 days after study drug infusion were based on the ECLIPSE (Evaluation of CLevidipine In the Perioperative Treatment of Hypertension Assessing Safety Events) trials. These clinical trial data were combined with data from the Massachusetts Acute Hospital Case Mix Database 2007 – 2009 (MA Case Mix Database) to estimate total hospitalization costs.

Results: Effective perioperative BP control in patients requiring IV antihypertensives was associated with a 7% decrease in hospital costs compared with less effective BP control. Reductions in total hospital costs associated with clevidipine versus other IV antihypertensives averaged $394 per patient overall. Cost savings with clevidipine exceeded $500 per patient versus sodium nitroprusside and nitroglycerin, but only $22 compared to nicardipine.

Conclusion: Improved perioperative BP control may reduce hospital costs. Given the low cost of IV antihypertensives, the total hospital cost reductions may offset any incremental cost increases associated with newer, more effective therapies.     

Comparison of hospitalization rates in patients with community-acquired pneumonia treated with telithromycin for 5 or 7 days or clarithromycin for 10 days

SUMMARY

Aims: To compare the impact on hospitalization rates and the clinical efficacy of oral telithromycin and clarithromycin treatment in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Methods: A total of 581 patients with CAP were enrolled in this randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, multinational study, of whom 575 were evaluated for healthcare resource utilization from a payer perspective (intent to treat [ITT] population). Patients received telithromycin 800?mg once daily for 5 (n?=?193) or 7 (n?=?195) days, or clarithromycin 500?mg once daily for 10days (n?=?187). The primary efficacy endpoint was clinical outcome at test of cure (Days 17–24) in the per-protocol population. Frequency of CAP-related hospitalizations, physician visits/tests/procedures, and additional respiratory tract infection-related antibacterial use were compared by treatment group (ITT) up to late post-therapy (Days 31-36). Study investigators blinded to treatment assessed whether hospital admissions were CAP-related or not. CAP-related

hospitalization costs (US$) for telithromycin and clarithromycin were compared.

Results: Clinical cure rates were similar in patients who received clarithromycin for 10days and telithromycin for 5 or 7 days: 91.8% (134/146), 89.3% (142/159), and 88.8% (143/161), respectively, and both 5- and 7-day telithromycin were statistically equivalent to clarithromycin (difference: ?2.5 and ?3.0%, respectively; 95% CI: ?9.7, 4.7 and ?10.2, 4.3, respectively). There were 7 CAP-related hospital admissions among clarithromycin patients vs 3 (p?=?0.283) and 1 (p?=?0.021) admissions among 5- and 7-day telithromycin patients, respectively. The number of hospital days/100 patients was 40.1 for clarithromycin vs 17.1 and 7.2 for 5- and 7-day telithromycin, respectively. Projected hospitalization costs/100 patients were $86205 for clarithromycin vs $37930 (difference: ?26446; 95% CI: ?66654; 13762) and $16 091 (difference: ?37847; 95% CI: ?77953; 2259) for 5- and 7-day telithromycin, respectively.

Conclusions: Data from this study demonstrate that telithromycin 800?mg once daily for 5 or 7 days is an effective treatment for CAP, and that telithromycin treatment of CAP may be associated with fewer hospital days and potentially lower hospitalization costs than clarithromycin treatment.     

Healthcare resource utilization and costs among women diagnosed with uterine fibroids compared to women without uterine fibroids

Objective: To perform a retrospective, matched-cohort, longitudinal evaluation of annual pre- and post-diagnosis costs incurred among women with uterine fibroids (UF) (cases) compared to controls without UF.

Methods: Data were derived from the IBM Watson Health MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters and Medicaid Multi-State databases. Women aged 18–64?years with ≥1 inpatient or outpatient medical claim with an initial UF diagnosis (index date) from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2014 were included. Healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) data including pharmacy, outpatient and inpatient hospital claims were collected for 1?year pre-index and ≤5?years post-index. All-cause costs (adjusted to 2017 $US) were compared between cases and controls using multivariable regression models.

Results: Analysis included 205,098 (Commercial) and 24,755 (Medicaid) case–control pairs. HCRU and total all-cause healthcare costs were higher for cases versus controls during the pre-index year and all years post-index. Total unadjusted mean all-cause costs were $1197 higher (p?<?.0001; Commercial) and $2813 higher (standardized difference 0.08; Medicaid) for cases during the pre-index year. Total adjusted mean all-cause costs in the first year post-index were $14,917 for cases versus $5717 for controls in the Commercial population, and $20,244 versus $10,544, respectively, in the Medicaid population. In Years 2–5 post-index, incremental mean adjusted total costs decreased, but remained significantly higher for cases versus controls at all time points in both populations (all p?<?.05).

Conclusions: Costs were higher for women with UF compared to women without UF during the pre-index year and over 5?years post-index; differences were greatest in the first year post-index.     

The economic burden of fibromyalgia: comparative analysis with rheumatoid arthritis*

ABSTRACT

Objective: To quantify and compare direct costs, utilization, and the rate of comorbidities in a sample of patients with fibromyalgia (FM), a poorly understood illness associated with chronic widespread pain that is commonly treated by rheumatologists, to patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a well studied rheumatologic illness associated with inflammatory joint pain. Patients with both illnesses were isolated and reported as a third group. A secondary analysis of work loss was performed for an employed subset of these patients.

Research design and methods: Retrospective cohort analysis of Thomson Reuters MarketScan administrative healthcare claims and employer-collected absence and disability data for adult patients with a diagnosis of FM (ICD-9-CM 729.1) and/or RA (ICD-9-CM 714.0x,–714.3x) on at least one inpatient or two outpatient claims during 2001–2004.

Main outcome measures: The 12-month healthcare utilization, expenditures, and rates of comorbidities were quantified for all study-eligible patients; absence and short-term disability days and costs were quantified for an employed subset.

Results: The sample included 14?034 FM, 7965 RA, and 331 FM?+?RA patients. Patients with FM had a higher prevalence of several comorbidities and greater emergency department (ED) utilization than those with RA. Mean annual expenditures for FM patients were $10?911 (SD?=?$16?075). RA patient annual expenditures were similar to FM: $10?716 (SD?= $16?860). Annual expenditures were almost double in patients with FM+RA ($19?395, SD?= $25?440). A greater proportion of patients with FM had any short-term disability days than those with RA (20 vs. 15%); and a greater proportion of patients with RA had any absence days (65 vs. 80%). Mean costs for absence from work and short-term disability in the FM and RA groups were substantial and similar. The FM+RA group was of insufficient sample size to report on work loss.

Limitations: The availability of newer and more expensive FDA-approved medications since 2004 is not reflected in our findings. This analysis was restricted to commercially insured patients and therefore may not be generalizable to the entire U.S. population.

Conclusions: The burden of illness in FM is substantial and comparable to RA. Patients with FM incurred direct costs approximately equal to RA patients. Patients with FM had more ED, physician, and physical therapy visits than RA patients. Patients in both groups had several comorbidities. Patients with FM+RA incurred direct costs almost double those of the patients with either diagnosis alone. FM and RA patients incurred similar overall absence and short-term disability costs.     

Estimating the potential savings with vagus nerve stimulation for treatment-resistant depression: a payer perspective*

ABSTRACT

Objective: To provide a formula estimating potential reductions in healthcare utilization costs with adjunctive vagus nerve stimulation (VNS Therapy^?) in treatment-resistant depression (TRD).

Methods: This payer-perspective formula incorporates costs of treatment as usual for TRD patients from a published analysis of the MarketScan private payer claims database and the 2004 Medicare 5% standard analytic file. Estimated remission and response rates are from the published VNS pilot and pivotal studies. Costs were converted to 2008 US dollars per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics medical care costs, consumer price index. Device and implantation costs were calculated at $28?336.

Results: From the MarketScan and pooled outcomes data (VNS pilot and pivotal studies), potential per patient savings (hospitalization directly and indirectly related to depression) was $2974 at 5 years of device life, $23?539 at 8 years (moderate cost reduction scenario); $12?914 at 5 years, $40?935 at 8 years (optimistic scenario). Corresponding break-even device life was 4.57 and 3.62 years, respectively. From the Medicare file and pooled outcomes, potential per patient savings (inpatient and outpatient directly and indirectly related to depression) was $8358 at 5 years of device life, $32?385 at 8 years (moderate scenario); $19?837 at 5 years, $52?473 at 8 years (optimistic scenario). Corresponding break-even device life was 3.96 and 3.18 years, respectively.

Conclusions: The formula allows an evaluation of expected reductions in healthcare costs as a function of input cost variables, efficacy rates, and benefit scenarios. Cited costs differ relative to care settings, diagnostic principles, and procedural volume. This formula can help assess moderate-to-longer-term economic benefits of VNS for a particular institution. Results suggested that potential reductions in healthcare costs with VNS for TRD may be substantial. Break-even device life for the scenarios presented ranges between 2.3 and 5.7 years.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00533832.