PCN158 PATIENT BURDEN AND COSTS FOR THE TREATMENT OF MULTIPLE MYELOMA IN FINLAND IN 2009-2016, USING MULTIPLE DATA SOURCES: AN ELECTRONIC HOSPITAL DATABASE, MEDICAL CHART REVIEW, AND INTERVIEWS WITH HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

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Multiple myeloma (MM) is a chronic, incurable, and progressive blood cancer; treatment requires regular hospital visits and extensive follow-up. Healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and associated costs for MM are not fully known in Finland. This study describes MM-related HCRU and costs for patients diagnosed with and treated for active MM at Carea Hospital, Finland. An observational study was conducted using multiple data sources: retrospective analysis of Carea Hospital’s database, medical chart review, and interviews with healthcare professionals. The study includes patients with at least one diagnosis code for active MM, who were treated between 2009-2016. MM-related direct healthcare visits and associated costs were calculated per patient for each line of MM treatment. Travel distances to/from healthcare visits for MM treatment and related costs were calculated per patient for a sub-group diagnosed with active MM and attending at least one healthcare visit in 2015-2016. Ninety-seven adults diagnosed with and treated for active MM were analyzed in this study - 53 men (54.6%), median age at diagnosis: 70.0 years. The greatest change in mean per patient drug costs per 28 days was from 1st to 2nd line treatment (€2328 to €4930). Drug costs represented the greatest proportion of total costs across all lines of MM therapy and increased from 1st to 4th line of treatment (34% to 63%). Mean distanced travelled to healthcare visits was 35.4km; mean per patient travel costs per 28 days for oral treatment were lower across all lines of therapy (range: €75.13 – €151.80) vs. non-oral treatment (range: €266.82 – €447.79) (n=63). Drug costs represented the greatest proportion of total HCRU-related costs across all lines of therapy in a sample of patients diagnosed with and treated for active MM in Finland. Greater costs were associated with traveling to/from healthcare visits for non-oral vs. oral MM treatment.