Abstract
BackgroundIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating condition with a variable course. Not uncommonly, IPF patients are hospitalized for respiratory-related causes, including disease worsening. This study aimed to characterize the prevalence, and economic and health care burden of IPF.MethodsRetrospective insurance claims data collected yearly between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2011, were used to determine prevalence and calculate all-cause and respiratory-related resource utilization and costs. Patients had at least one inpatient claim or two outpatient claims for IPF (ICD-9-CM code 516.3). Results for health care burden are reported for the 2011 cohort (similar findings in 2009–2010). Costs are reported in 2011 US dollars ($).ResultsPatients with IPF had a mean age of 69.8–71.3 years. Overall prevalence for IPF was 28.8, 28.1 and 19.8 per 100,000 insured persons in 2009, 2010 and 2011. In each year, prevalence increased with age. In 2011, 37.7 % of patients were hospitalized at least once for any cause; 19.5 % for respiratory-related reasons. Also in 2011, the mean number of all-cause outpatient visits and respiratory-related office visits was 18.5 and 5.7 per patient, respectively. All-cause health care costs in 2011 were $59,379 per patient; 36.6 % of costs ($21,732) were respiratory related.ConclusionsThe prevalence of IPF in this claims database increased with age, with a notable increase in those over 65 years. IPF is associated with a large economic and health care burden. Additional research is needed to determine how such burden might be reduced.
Highlights
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating condition with a variable course
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic disease in which normal lung parenchyma is replaced with fibrotic tissue, leading to dyspnea, cough and impaired lung function [1]
IPF predominantly occurs in older adults [1] and the progressive nature of the disease results in a median survival time of approximately 3 years from diagnosis [2, 3]
Summary
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating condition with a variable course. IPF patients are hospitalized for respiratory-related causes, including disease worsening. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic disease in which normal lung parenchyma is replaced with fibrotic tissue, leading to dyspnea, cough and impaired lung function [1]. Reported comorbid conditions among IPF patients include pulmonary hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disease, obesity, emphysema, cardiovascular conditions and obstructive sleep apnea [4, 5]. IPF itself and these common comorbidities significantly impair health-related quality of life. Data are limited, compared with patients without IPF, those with IPF require greater health care resource utilization, have a greater number of comorbidities [7, 8] and generate higher direct medical costs [7]. The FDA recently approved pirfenidone and nintedanib for the treatment of IPF; how these therapies affect resource utilization and cost in a real-world setting is yet to be determined [9, 10]
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