0547 Insomnia in Veterans with COPD: Prevalence, Correlates, and Health Care Utilization

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Veterans with COPD are a vulnerable group for developing insomnia. The objectives of this study were to examine the prevalence and correlates of insomnia and its impact on health care utilization in a national sample of Veterans with COPD. Methods National data from electronic medical records of Veterans who utilized the Veterans Health Administration between FY2011 and FY2017 was accessed from the Veterans Affair Corporate Data Warehouse. COPD was based on International Classification of Diseases diagnostic codes (ICD-9/10). Insomnia was defined by ICD-9/10 codes or sedative-hypnotic prescription of >30 doses in a given fiscal year. ICD-9/10 codes for other conditions were documented. Outpatient and inpatient health care service utilization included number of physician encounters and emergency room visits and hospitalizations with a primary diagnostic code for COPD or COPD exacerbation. Bivariate comparisons between veterans with COPD and insomnia and COPD only were made for sociodemographic, comorbidities, and health care utilization variables using t-tests and Chi-square tests, as appropriate. Results A total of 1,542,642 Veterans with COPD were identified during the 6-year period. Of those with COPD, 575,539 (37.3%) were identified as having insomnia. Veterans with COPD and comorbid insomnia were younger (64 years vs. 69 years) and more likely to be female (6.3% vs. 3.7%), Black (14.0% vs. 11.0%), be a current smoker (46.1% vs. 35.5%), and have comorbidities including obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes, asthma, stroke, depression, or posttraumatic stress disorder compared to those without insomnia (all p’s <0.001). Compared to Veterans with COPD only, those with comorbid insomnia had a greater number of COPD-related outpatient (6.9 vs. 10.5) and emergency room (1.1 vs. 1.2) visits and hospitalizations (1.9 vs. 2.3) (p’s <0.001). Conclusion Insomnia is highly prevalent in Veterans with COPD and is associated with greater COPD-related health care utilization. Future research is needed to determine if targeted treatment for insomnia can improve COPD outcomes. Support This study was funded by the VA Competitive Career Development Fund.