All-cause Healthcare Resource Utilization Research Articles

Reasons for switching oral antipsychotic medications and related patterns of care and costs in patients with schizophrenia initiating monotherapy treatment: Claims-linked chart study.

Antipsychotic switching is frequent in schizophrenia and is associated with poor clinical outcomes, increased health care resource utilization (HCRU), and increased health care costs. Research describing the reasons for antipsychotic switching in patients with schizophrenia and the associated impacts on HCRU and costs is limited. To explore the reasons for oral antipsychotic medication (OAM) switching and describe HCRU and costs associated with OAM switching, stratified by reasons for switching, in patients with commercial or Medicare Advantage insurance in the United States. This retrospective observational study used medical and pharmacy claims from the Optum Research Database linked to patient medical chart data. Adults with a diagnosis of schizophrenia who initiated OAM monotherapy between January 1, 2015, and June 30, 2021, and switched from their initial OAM monotherapy to a second one were included. Reasons for OAM switching were recorded from medical charts abstracted between 4 months preceding and 2 months following the patient's switch date. HCRU and costs incurred up to 3 months before and 3 months after the OAM switch were stratified and compared by reasons for switching among individuals who switched OAM monotherapy. Among 134 patients with valid, abstracted charts, the 2 most common reasons for switching were lack of efficacy (57.5% of switches) and at least 1 tolerability issue (41.8%). Mutually exclusive categories of switching reasons included lack of efficacy and no tolerability issues (56/134; 41.8%), tolerability and no efficacy issues (35/134; 26.1%), lack of efficacy and tolerability issues (21/134; 15.7%), and other or unknown (22/134; 16.4%). All-cause and schizophrenia-related HCRU and costs in any health services category did not appear to differ across the reason-for-switching cohorts, with costs for inpatient stays accounting for greater than half of the total costs, regardless of switching reason. These findings provide insight on patient experiences that contribute to OAM switching, with nearly half of patients switching because of lack of efficacy, more than one-fourth because of tolerability issues, and an additional one-sixth for reasons of both efficacy and tolerability. Health care providers should address patients' expectations regarding OAM effectiveness, symptom resolution, and side effect tolerability at treatment initiation to minimize switching before the medication has reached peak effectiveness. Prescribing access to a broad selection of antipsychotics with different side effect profiles may help physicians better match treatment to individual patients, fostering greater acceptance of therapy, increased medication adherence, and better long-term outcomes.

Healthcare resource utilization and costs among patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency with liver and/or lung disease: a longitudinal retrospective study in the USA.

Aim: To evaluate all-cause and liver-associated healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs among patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) with liver disease (LD) and/or lung disease (LgD). Materials & methods: This was a retrospective analysis of linked administrative claims data from the IQVIA PharMetrics® Plus and the IQVIA Ambulatory Electronic Medical Records (AEMR) databases from 1July2021 to 31January 2022. Patients with AATD in the IQVIA PharMetrics Plus database were included with ≥1 inpatient or ≥2 outpatient medical claims ≥90days apart with a diagnosis of AATD, or with records indicating a protease inhibitor (Pi)*ZZ/Pi*MZ genotype in the IQVIA AEMR database with linkage to IQVIA PharMetrics Plus. For a patient's identified continuous enrollment period, patient time was assigned to health states based on the initial encounter with an LD/LgD diagnosis. A unique index date was defined for each health state, and HCRU and costs were calculated per person-year (PPY). Results: Overall, 5136 adult and pediatric patients from the IQVIA PharMetrics Plus and IQVIA AEMR databases were analyzed. All-cause and liver-associated HCRU and costs were substantially higher following onset of LD/LgD. All-cause cost PPY ranged from US $11,877 in the absence of either LD/LgD to US $74,015 in the presence of both LD and LgD. Among liver transplant recipients in the AATD with LD health state, liver-associated total costs PPY were US $87,329 1-year pre-transplantation and US $461,752 1-year post-transplantation. In the AATD with LgD and AATD with LD and LgD health states, patients who received augmentation therapy were associated with higher all-cause total costs PPY and lower liver-associated total costs PPY than their counterparts who did not receive augmentation therapy. Conclusion: Patients with AATD had increased HCRU and healthcare costs in the presence of LD and/or LgD. HCRU and healthcare costs were highest in the AATD with LD and LgD health state.

Hyperkalemia Recurrence Following Medical Nutrition Therapy in Patients with Stage3-4 Chronic Kidney Disease: The REVOLUTIONIZEI Real-World Study.

The REVOLUTIONIZEI study aimed to characterize the relationships between medical nutrition therapy (MNT) and hyperkalemia recurrence in patients with stage3-4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hyperkalemia who received MNT in real-world clinical practice. This observational cohort study used de-identified electronic health record data from patients aged ≥18years with stage3-4 CKD who received MNT between January 2019 and October 2022 and had hyperkalemia (serum potassium >5.0mmol/L) within 30days before MNT. Patients were followed for 6months or until the first censoring event (death, prescription of outpatient potassium binder, or study end). The primary outcome was the percentage of patients with ≥1hyperkalemia recurrence during follow-up. Secondary outcomes included the number of hyperkalemia recurrences per patient, time to each recurrence, and hyperkalemia-related healthcare resource utilization. Exploratory outcomes included all-cause healthcare resource utilization and mortality. The final cohort comprised 2048 patients; 1503 (73.4%) patients remained uncensored after 6months. During the 6-month follow-up period, 56.0% of patients had ≥1hyperkalemia recurrence and 37.4% had ≥1 recurrence within the first month. Patients with ≥1hyperkalemia recurrence during follow-up had a mean ± standard deviation (SD) of 2.6 ± 2.2 recurrences. The mean ± SD time to first hyperkalemia recurrence was 45 ± 46days; the time between recurrences decreased with subsequent episodes. Hyperkalemia-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits were recorded for 13.7% and 1.5% of patients, respectively. Sensitivity analyses showed that results were consistent across patient subgroups, including those with comorbid heart failure and patients receiving renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitor therapy at baseline. Most patients with stage3-4 CKD had hyperkalemia recurrence, and MNT alone was inadequate to prevent recurrence. These patients may require additional long-term treatment, such as novel potassium binders, to maintain normokalemia and prevent hyperkalemia recurrence following MNT. Infographic available for this article. INFOGRAPHIC.

Economic burden of patients with post-surgical chronic and transient hypoparathyroidism in the United States examined using insurance claims data.

Hypoparathyroidism (HP) is a rare endocrine disease commonly caused by the removal or damage of parathyroid glands during surgery and resulting in transient (tHP) or chronic (cHP) disease. cHP is associated with multiple complications and comorbid conditions; however, the economic burden has not been well characterized. The objective of this study was to evaluate the healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs associated with post-surgical cHP, using tHP as a reference. This analysis of a US claims database included patients with both an insurance claim for HP and thyroid/neck surgery between October 2014 and December 2019. cHP was defined as an HP claim ≥ 6 months following surgery and tHP was defined as only one HP claim < 6 months following surgery. The cHP index date was the first HP diagnosis claim following their qualifying surgery claim, whereas the tHP index date was the last HP diagnosis claim following the qualifying surgery claim. Patients were continuously enrolled at least 1 year pre- and post-index. Patients' demographic and clinical characteristics, all-cause HCRU, and costs were descriptively analyzed. Total all-cause costs were calculated as the sum of payments for hospitalizations, emergency department, office/clinic visits, and pharmacy. A total of 1,406 cHP and 773 tHP patients met inclusion criteria. The average age (52.1 years cHP, 53.5 years tHP) and representation of females (83.2% cHP, 81.2% tHP) were similar for both groups. Neck dissection surgery was more prevalent in cHP patients (23.6%) than tHP patients (5.3%). During the 1-2 year follow-up period, cHP patients had a higher prevalence of inpatient admissions (17.4%), and emergency visits (26.0%) than the reference group -tHP patients (14.4% and 21.4% respectively). Among those with a hospitalization, the average number of hospitalizations was 1.5-fold higher for cHP patients. cHP patients also saw more specialists, including endocrinologists (28.7% cHP, 15.8% tHP), cardiologists (16.7% cHP, 9.7% tHP), and nephrologists (4.6% cHP, 3.3% tHP). This study demonstrates the increased healthcare burden of cHP on the healthcare system in contrast to patients with tHP. Effective treatment options are needed to minimize the additional resources utilized by patients whose HP becomes chronic.

Real-World Patterns and Economic Burden Associated With Treatment Failure With Advanced Therapies in Patients With Moderate-to-Severe Ulcerative Colitis

Abstract Background Some patients lose response during treatment for moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis (UC). We aimed to characterize real-world treatment failure patterns and associated economic burdens during use of first-line advanced therapies for UC. Methods IBM MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental Databases were used to identify adults initiating ≥ 1 advanced therapy for UC (January 1, 2010–September 30, 2019). Treatment failure was defined as augmentation with non-advanced therapy, discontinuation, dose escalation/interval shortening, failure to taper corticosteroids, UC-related surgery, or UC-related urgent care ≤ 12 months after treatment initiation. The index date was the date of treatment failure (treatment failure cohort) or 12 months after treatment initiation (persistent cohort). Treatment failure rates were assessed using Kaplan–Meier analyses. All-cause and UC-related healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs 12 months post-index were also assessed. Results Analysis of treatment failure patterns included data from 6745 patients; HCRU and cost analyses included data from 5302 patients (treatment failure cohort, n = 4295; persistent cohort, n = 1007). In the overall population, 75% experienced treatment failure within the first 12 months (median: 5.1 months). Augmentation with non-advanced therapy (39%) was the most common first treatment failure event. The treatment failure cohort had significantly (P &amp;lt; .001) higher mean costs than the persistent cohort (all-cause, $74 995 vs $56 169; UC-related, $57 096 vs $47 347) mainly attributed to inpatient admissions and outpatient visits. Dose escalation/interval shortening accounted for the highest total costs ($101 668) across treatment failure events. Conclusions Advanced therapies for moderate-to-severe UC are associated with high rates of treatment failure and significant economic burden. More efficacious and durable treatments are needed.

Household Influenza Transmission and Healthcare Resource Utilization Among Patients Treated with Baloxavir vs Oseltamivir: A United States Outpatient Prospective Survey.

Influenza is a common, seasonal infectious disease with broad medical, economic, and social consequences. Real-world evidence on the effect of influenza treatment on household transmission and healthcare resource utilization is limited in outpatient settings in the USA. This study examined the real-world effectiveness of baloxavir vs oseltamivir in reducing influenza household transmission and healthcare resource utilization. This prospective electronic survey on patient-reported outcomes was conducted between October 2022 and May2023 via CVS Pharmacy in the USA. Adult participants (≥ 18years old) were eligible if they filled a prescription for baloxavir or oseltamivir at a CVS Pharmacy within 2days of influenza symptom onset. Participant demographics, household transmission, and all-cause healthcare resource utilization were collected. Transmission and utilization outcomes were assessed using χ2 and Fisher exact tests. Of 87,871 unique patients contacted, 1346 (1.5%) consented. Of 374 eligible patients, 286 (90 baloxavir- and 196 oseltamivir-treated patients) completed the survey and were included in the analysis. Mean age of participants was 45.4years, 65.6% were female, and 86.7% were White. Lower household transmission was observed with baloxavir compared with oseltamivir therapy (17.8% vs 26.5%; relative risk = 0.67; 95%CI 0.41-1.11). Healthcare resource utilization, particularly emergency department visits (0.0% vs 4.6%), was also numerically lower in the baloxavir-treated group; no hospitalizations were reported in either cohort. The findings from this real-world study suggest that antiviral treatment of influenza with baloxavir may decrease household transmission and reduce healthcare resource utilization compared with oseltamivir.

Comparison of Healthcare Costs for Women with Treated Versus Untreated Vasomotor Symptoms Due to Menopause.

The study objective was to estimate all-cause healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and medical and pharmacy costs for women with treated versus untreated vasomotor symptoms (VMS) due to menopause. A retrospective study was conducted using US claims data from Optum Research Database (study period: January 1, 2012-February 29, 2020). Women aged 40-63years with a VMS diagnosis claim and ≥ 12 and ≥ 18months of continuous enrollment during baseline and follow-up periods, respectively, were included. Women treated for VMS were propensity score matched 1:1 to untreated controls with VMS. Standardized differences (SDIFF) ≥ 10% were considered meaningful. A generalized linear model (gamma distribution, log link, robust standard errors) estimated the total cost of care ratio. Subgroup analyses of on- and off-label treatment costs were conducted. Of 117,582 women diagnosed with VMS, 20.5% initiated VMS treatment and 79.5% had no treatment. Treated women (n = 24,057) were matched to untreated VMS controls. There were no differences in HCRU at follow-up (SDIFF < 10%). Pharmacy ($487 vs $320, SDIFF 28.4%) and total ($1803 vs $1536, SDIFF 12.6%) costs were higher in the treated cohort. Total costs were 7% higher in the treated cohort (total cost ratio 1.07, 95% CI 1.05-1.10, P < 0.001). The on-label treatment pharmacy costs ($546 versus $315, SDIFF 38.6%) were higher in the treated cohort. Off-label treatment had higher medical costs ($1393 versus $1201, SDIFF 10.4%). Most women with VMS due to menopause were not treated within 6months following diagnosis. While both on- and off-label treatment increased the total cost of care compared with untreated controls, those increases were modest in magnitude and should not impede treatment for women who report symptom improvement as a result of treatment.

Greater persistence and adherence to basal insulin therapy is associated with lower healthcare utilization and medical costs in patients with type 2 diabetes: a retrospective database analysis

IntroductionWe aimed to assess persistence and adherence to basal insulin therapy, their association with all-cause healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and direct medical costs, and predictors of persistence and adherence in...

Glycemic and Cost Outcomes among Hispanic/Latino People with Type 2 Diabetes in the USA Initiating Dulaglutide versus Basal Insulin: a Real-World Study.

Optimal glycemic management after diabetes onset remains a challenge in Hispanic/Latino adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D), often resulting in poor health outcomes and higher rates of diabetes-related complications. The aim of this study was to examine and compare demographic and clinical characteristics, glycemic outcomes, health care resource utilization (HCRU), and costs among injection-naïve Hispanic/Latino adults with T2D initiating dulaglutide or basal insulin. This retrospective, observational study used administrative claims data from the Optum Research Database. Hispanic/Latino adults with T2D were assigned to dulaglutide or basal insulin cohorts on the basis of pharmacy claims and were propensity-score matched on demographic and baseline characteristics. Measures of glycemic management included 12month follow-up glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and change in HbA1c from baseline. Follow-up all-cause and diabetes-related HCRU and costs, including costs per 1% change in HbA1c, were compared between cohorts. The final propensity-score matched sample included 2872 patients: 1436 patients in each cohort. Mean (SD) reduction in HbA1c from baseline to 12month follow-up was greater in the dulaglutide cohort compared with the basal insulin cohort [-1.40% (1.88) versus -0.92% (2.07); p <0.001]. The dulaglutide cohort had significantly lower proportions of patients with ≥ 1 all-cause and diabetes-related outpatient visits, emergency room visits, and inpatient stays compared with the basal insulin cohort (p < 0.05). The dulaglutide cohort had significantly lower all-cause total costs per 1% HbA1c reduction than the basal insulin cohort ($13,768 versus $19,128; p < 0.001). Diabetes-related costs per 1% reduction were numerically lower for the dulaglutide cohort, but the difference was not statistically significant ($9737 versus $11,403; p = 0.081). Dulaglutide demonstrated better glycemic outcomes and lower all-cause costs per 1% HbA1c reduction among Hispanic/Latino adults compared with those initiating basal insulin. Our real-world findings in the Hispanic/Latino population were consistent with results obtained from the overall population and confirm the glycemic benefits of dulaglutide observed in clinical settings.

Characterizing the real-world economic burden of metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer in the United States

Aims To describe healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and costs of patients with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC). Methods Linked data from Flatiron Metastatic PC Core Registry and Komodo’s Healthcare Map were evaluated (01/2016-12/2021). Patients with chart-confirmed diagnoses for metastatic PC without confirmed castration resistance in Flatiron who initiated androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) monotherapy or advanced therapy for mCSPC in 2017 or later (index date) with a corresponding pharmacy or medical claim in Komodo Health were included. Advanced therapies considered were androgen-receptor signaling inhibitors, chemotherapies, estrogens, immunotherapies, poly ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors, and radiopharmaceuticals. Patients with <12 months of continuous insurance eligibility before index were excluded. Per-patient-per-month (PPPM) all-cause and PC-related HRU and costs (medical and pharmacy; from a payer’s perspective in 2022 $USD) were described in the 12-month baseline period and follow-up period (from the index date to castration resistance, end of continuous insurance eligibility, end of data availability, or death). Results Of 871 patients included (mean age: 70.6 years), 52% initiated ADT monotherapy as their index treatment without documented advanced therapy use. During baseline, 31% of patients had a PC-related inpatient admission and 94% had a PC-related outpatient visit; mean all-cause costs were $2551 PPPM and PC-related costs were $839 PPPM with $787 PPPM attributable to medical costs. Patients had a mean follow-up of 15 months, during which 38% had a PC-related inpatient admission and 98% had a PC-related outpatient visit; mean all-cause costs were $5950 PPPM with PC-related total costs of $4363 PPPM, including medical costs of $2012 PPPM. Limitations All analyses were descriptive; statistical testing was not performed. Treatment effectiveness and clinical outcomes were not assessed. Conclusion This real-world study demonstrated a significant economic burden in mCSPC patients, and a propensity to use ADT monotherapy in clinical practice despite the availability and guideline recommendations of advanced life-prolonging therapies.

Patient characteristics, treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization, and costs among patients diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type 1 with and without plexiform neurofibromas in Japan

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to retrospectively investigate the patient characteristics, treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), and healthcare costs related to management of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) in Japan. Methods: Cohorts of NF1 patients with or without plexiform neurofibromas (PN) were identified from the Medical Data Vision database in 2008-2019. Baseline characteristics, NF1 medications, HCRU, and associated costs were assessed using descriptive statistics. All-cause HCRU and costs following the first confirmed NF1 diagnosis date were analyzed per patient per year (PPPY) in Japanese Yen (JPY) and United States Dollar (USD). Results: A total of 4,394 NF1 patients without PN and 370 NF1 patients with PN were identified. The mean age was 35.0 and 36.9 years, respectively. The proportion of patients with PN treated with medications was higher than that in patients without PN (except for antirheumatic/immunologic agents). Analgesics/non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were the most frequently prescribed NF1 medications (44.3% and 56.0% in patients without and with PN, respectively), followed by inpatient prescriptions of opioids/opioid-like agents (17.8% and 27.6%, respectively). Inpatient admissions accounted for the highest costs in both cohorts with the average cost PPPY being JPY 2,133,277 (USD 19,861) for patients without PN and JPY 1,052,868 (USD 9,802) for patients with PN. Conclusions: NF1 is treated primarily with supportive care with analgesics/non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs being the most frequently prescribed NF1 medications in Japan. Findings underscored the unmet need and substantial economic burden among patients with NF1 and highlighted the need for new treatment options for patients with this disease.

Reduced mortality, complications, and economic burden among medicare beneficiaries receiving influenza antivirals

Introduction Antiviral therapy may be underutilized in patients at high risk for increased clinical and economic burden (e.g. older adults). We aimed to examine the benefits associated with antiviral treatment of seasonal influenza among treated and untreated Medicare beneficiaries. Methods This retrospective study of Medicare Claims Research Identifiable Files identified patients ≥66 years old with an influenza diagnosis in outpatient setting between October 2016–March 2019 (flu seasons 2016–2018). Index date defined as date of first claim with influenza diagnosis; baseline as the 12 months pre-index. Treated patients received antivirals ≤2 days from index. Untreated patients had no antivirals ≤6 months post-index. Treated/untreated patients were 1:1 propensity score matched. Outcomes (death, all-cause and respiratory-related healthcare resource utilization [HCRU] and costs) were assessed until death or up to 6 months post-index. Descriptive statistics were reported; Kaplan-Meier estimation was used for survival over time. Results Among 116,901 matched patient pairs, all-cause mortality within 6 months from index diagnosis was 1.6% among treated versus 4.3% among untreated patients. Rates (treated versus untreated) of all-cause inpatient hospitalizations during follow-up were 13.9% versus 22.7% and respiratory-related hospitalizations were 4.2% versus 9.0%. Mean (SD) total all-cause and respiratory-related costs were $9,830 ($18,616.0) and $900 ($4016.4) among the treated, respectively, versus $13,207 ($24,405.1) and $2,024 ($7,623.7) among untreated, respectively. All differences were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Conclusions Lack of antiviral treatment is associated with increased mortality, HCRU, and economic burden in older Medicare beneficiaries with seasonal influenza. Future research should investigate whether the choice of antivirals affects influenza burden.

THE IMPACT OF TREATMENT SWITCH AMONG PATIENTS WITH ULCERATIVE COLITIS NEWLY TREATED WITH A BIOLOGIC – A JAPAN RETROSPECTIVE CLAIMS DATABASE STUDY

Abstract INTRODUCTION Biologics have largely expanded treatment options for ulcerative colitis (UC) patients. Despite advanced treatments, up to 50% of patients treated with any biologic also suffer loss of response or intolerance. This study assessed the healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) associated with treatment switch as an indicator of suboptimal treatment of UC in patients newly treated with a biologic in a real-world setting in Japan. METHODS A retrospective cohort analysis was performed using the Japan Medical Data Center (JMDC) claims database for the period from 01/01/2016 through 09/30/2022. Adult patients with at least two UC diagnoses and newly treated with a biologic on or after the UC diagnosis were included. The index date was defined as the date of the first observed biologic prescription fill or injection after the UC diagnosis. Patients with a record of pregnancy one year before or one year after the index date and patients with at least two CD diagnosis were excluded. Patients were classified as switchers if they discontinued their index biologic treatment and switched to another biologic or 5-aminosalicylic acid or immunomodulator during a 12-month study period after the index date. All-cause HCRU during the study period were described and compared (unadjusted) between the 2 cohorts (switchers vs non-switchers). RESULTS Among 47,572 patients diagnosed with UC, 1,214 met criteria for inclusion, of which 261 (21.5%) were in the switchers cohort and 953 (78.5%) in the non-switchers cohort. Overall, the mean age (SD) was 41.3 (12.4) years old and 31% (n=376) were female. In the switchers group, 85.8% (n=224) discontinued index treatment and switched to another biologic, 5.0% (n=13) to a 5-ASA and 11.1% (n=29) to an immunomodulator. Among switchers, 59.0% (n=154) of switching occurred during the first 6 months after index treatment. During the 12-months follow-up period, the mean number of outpatient visits were similar between cohorts (15.5 visits vs 14.3 visits, p = 0.01). However, a greater proportion of the switchers cohort experienced inpatient hospitalization compared to non-switchers (43.7% [n=114] vs 19.6% [n=187], p&amp;lt;0.001). In addition, the inpatient hospitalizations had a longer mean length of stay in the switchers group vs non-switchers (12.9 days vs 4.5 days, p&amp;lt;0.001). CONCLUSION This real-world analysis using the JMDC database showed that roughly one out of five patients newly treated with a biologic switched to another treatment within 12 months of the treatment initiation. Those who experience treatment switch were also more likely to be hospitalized and had a longer length of stay versus patients who did not switch treatment. These findings highlight the continued burden of non-remission associated with treatment switch and the need for more efficacious and safe treatment interventions early in disease management.

Real world treatment patterns, healthcare resource use and costs in patients with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer by EGFR mutation type

Aims This study described treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and costs among advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (a/mNSCLC) patients with different epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation types. Materials and methods This retrospective study leveraged NeoGenomics NeoNucleus linked with IQVIA PharMetrics Plus between 01 January 2016 to 30 April 2021 (study period). Patients with evidence of a/mNSCLC between 01 July 2016 to 31 March 2021 (selection window) with EGFR test results indicating exon 19 deletion (exon19del), exon 21 L858R (L858R), or exon 20 insertion (exon20i) mutations were included; date of first observed evidence of a/mNSCLC was the index date. Treatment patterns, all-cause HRU and costs during ≥1 month follow-up were reported for each cohort (exon19del, L858R, and exon20i). Results A total of 106 exon19del, 75 L858R, and 13 exon20i patients met the study criteria. The prevalence of hospitalization was highest in the exon20i cohort (76.9%), followed by L858R (62.7%) and exon19del (55.7%) cohorts. A higher proportion of patients had evidence of hospice/end-of-life care in the exon20i (30.8%) and L858R (29.3%) cohorts relative to the exon19del cohort (22.6%). The exon20i cohort had higher median total healthcare costs per patient per month ($27,069) relative to exon19del ($17,482) and L858R ($17,763). EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) were the most frequently observed treatment type for exon19del and L858R cohorts, while chemotherapy was the most observed treatment in exon20i cohort. Limitations The sample size for the study cohorts was small, thus no statistical comparisons were conducted. Conclusions This is one of the first real-world studies to describe HRU and costs among a/mNSCLC patients by specific EGFR mutation type. HRU and costs varied between EGFR mutation types and were highest among exon20i cohort, potentially reflecting higher disease burden and unmet need among patients with this mutation.

Association between adherence with oral anticancer medications and short-term health care resource utilization: A 2010-2018 claims-based analysis.

There is limited evidence on the effect of adherence to oral anticancer medications on health care resource utilization (HRU) among patients with cancer. To determine the association between adherence to oral anticancer medication and subsequent HRU. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using Optum Clinformatics® Data Mart commercial claims database. Patients who initiated an oral anticancer medication between 2010 and 2017 were included. Proportion of days covered was used to calculate medication adherence in the first 6 months after oral anticancer medication initiation. All-cause HRU in the following 6 months was assessed. Multivariable negative binomial regressions were used to determine the association between oral anticancer medication adherence and HRU, after controlling for confounders. Of 37,938 patients, 51.9% were adherent to oral anticancer medications. Adherence with oral anticancer medication was significantly associated with more frequent physician office and outpatient visits for several cancer types with the strongest association among those with liver cancer (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.18-1.52 and aIRR = 1.32; 95% CI = 1.13-1.55, respectively). Oral anticancer medication adherence was associated with more emergency department visits only among patients with lung cancer (aIRR = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.01-1.48). Oral anticancer medication adherence was significantly associated with a higher rate of inpatient hospitalizations and longer stays among patients with liver cancer (aIRRs were 1.45 [95% CI = 1.02-2.05] and 2.15 [95% CI = 1.21-3.81], respectively), whereas hospitalizations were fewer and length of stay was shorter among patients with colorectal cancer who were adherent with oral anticancer medication (aIRRs were 0.77 [95% CI = 0.68-0.86] and 0.77 [95% CI = -0.66 to 0.90], respectively). Other measures did not reveal statistically significant differences in HRU among adherent and nonadherent patients for the cancer types included in the study. HRU following the initial phase of oral anticancer medication therapy was generally similar among adherent and nonadherent patients. We observed a slightly higher rate of office and outpatient visits among adherent patients, which may reflect ongoing monitoring among patients continuing oral anticancer medication. Further studies are needed to determine how oral anticancer medication adherence may affect HRU over a longer time period.

One-Year Medication Treatment Patterns, Healthcare Resource Utilization, and Expenditures for Medicaid Patients with Schizophrenia Starting Oral Atypical Antipsychotic Medication

Oral atypical antipsychotic (OAAP) medications are the most commonly prescribed treatment for the management of schizophrenia symptoms. This retrospective study, using Medicaid claims data (2016–2020), followed patients for 12 months after initiating OAAP therapy. Study outcomes included OAAP adherence, switching, augmentation, healthcare resource utilization (HRU), and expenditures. All-cause and schizophrenia-related HRU and expenditures were compared between adherent and nonadherent cohorts. Among 13,007 included patients (39.1 ± 12.8 years of age, 57.0% male, 36.1% Black, 31.8% White, 9.7% Hispanic), 25.7% were adherent to OAAPs (proportion of days covered [PDC] ≥ 0.8). During the 1-year follow-up period, Black individuals were in possession of an OAAP for an average of 166 days compared to 198 and 202 days for White and Hispanic patients, respectively. Approximately 16% of patients switched OAAP medications and 3.2% augmented therapy with an OAAP added to their index medication. Nearly 40% of patients were hospitalized during follow-up and 68.4% had emergency department (ED) visits. A greater proportion of nonadherent patients had all-cause inpatient (41.7% vs. 34.1%, p < 0.001) and ED visits (71.7% vs. 58.8%, p < 0.001) compared to adherent patients. Annual total healthcare expenditures were $21,020 per patient; $3481 higher for adherent versus nonadherent patients. Inpatient expenditures comprised 44.6% and 30.6% of total expenditures for nonadherent and adherent patients, respectively. Hospitalized patients’ total expenditures were $23,261 higher compared to those without a hospitalization. Adherence to OAAP medication is suboptimal and associated with increased utilization of costly hospital and ED resources. Efforts to improve therapies and increase medication adherence could improve clinical and economic outcomes among individuals with schizophrenia.

Treatment Patterns, Healthcare Resource Utilization, and Direct Costs Among Patients Initiating Concomitant Use of a Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Monoclonal Antibody (CGRP mAb) and Novel Acute Medication in the United States.

To describe treatment patterns, all-cause and migraine-related healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), and direct costs among people with migraine treated with concomitant calcitonin gene-related peptide monoclonal antibody (CGRP mAb) and novel acute migraine medications (ubrogepant, rimegepant, lasmiditan) in the United States (US). This retrospective, observational cohort study utilized data from the IBM MarketScan® Research Databases and included adults initiating CGRP mAb or novel acute migraine medication as index medications between May 01, 2018, and Feb 28, 2021. All-cause and migraine-related HCRU (number of visits) and costs at baseline (12 months pre-index) and at follow-up (12 months post-index) were descriptively analyzed; differences between values at follow-up and baseline were reported. Of 4,167 included in the analysis (mean [SD] age: 43.7 [11.2] years), 89.2% were women, and 59.7% had chronic migraine. Adherence to the indexed CGRP mAb was 47% (using proportion of days covered [PDC]) and 80.1% (using medication possession ratio [MPR]); mean (SD) persistence was 273.4 (115.3) days). At follow-up, 43.9% of the patients discontinued their index preventive medication of which 80.2% switched to a different preventive migraine medication; 17.0% restarted their index preventive medication. Reductions in all-cause inpatient HCRU, all-cause inpatient and outpatient costs, and migraine-related outpatient HCRU were observed at follow-up vs. baseline, whereas increases in all-cause outpatient HCRU, all-cause medication costs, migraine-related inpatient HCRU, and migraine-related inpatient, outpatient, and medication costs were observed. In this study, observed treatment patterns with the indexed CGRP mAb were consistent with prior reports. Concomitant treatment with CGRP mAb and novel acute migraine medications led to reductions in some outcomes of HCRU and direct costs, however, increases were also observed. Treatment utilization, reductions in HCRU and cost savings identified in this study in favor of concomitant CGRP mAb and novel acute medications may help clinicians and other healthcare decision makers assessing appropriate therapeutic options for migraine management.

MT35 The Impact of Patient Engagement with a Digital Diabetes Solution on All-Cause Healthcare Resource Utilization Rates and Charges

MT35 The Impact of Patient Engagement with a Digital Diabetes Solution on All-Cause Healthcare Resource Utilization Rates and Charges

Real-World Treatment Patterns and Healthcare Resource Utilization in Patients with Waldenström Macroglobulinemia Initiating First-Line Treatment with Ibrutinib or Zanubrutinib

Background: A pivotal clinical trial comparing the efficacy and safety of ibrutinib with zanubrutinib in patients with Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) did not achieve its primary endpoint of complete response or very good partial response. In addition, median progression-free survival was not reached in either treatment arm. In the absence of treatment effectiveness differentiation based on clinical trial evidence, we conducted a real-world study to assess patient characteristics, treatment patterns, and all-cause healthcare resource utilization (HRU) in patients with WM who received ibrutinib or zanubrutinib as first-line (1L) therapy. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we used the ConcertAI Database to collect claims data of patients with WM aged ≥18 years who initiated single-agent ibrutinib (420 mg/day) or zanubrutinib (320 mg/day) as 1L therapy on or after 9/1/2021 (index date). A 6-month washout period of guideline-recommended WM antineoplastic agents was required to confirm 1L status. Patients were excluded if they were receiving ibrutinib and zanubrutinib concurrently, died within 30 days of the index date, had a record of hematopoietic stem cell transplant, had a record of other ibrutinib indications in the 6 months before index, or were participating in a clinical trial. Baseline demographics and clinical characteristics, therapy duration (number of days between the first and last day of the medication supply), and HRU (all-cause and WM-specific) per-patient-per-month (PPPM) were assessed. Results: The study included 51 patients (ibrutinib, n=30; zanubrutinib, n=21). In both cohorts, most participants were male (ibrutinib, n=20 [67%]; zanubrutinib, n=16 [76%]), and the mean age at baseline was 73 years and 75 years, respectively. At baseline, the median Charlson Comorbidity Index was 0, and the WM-related and ibrutinib/zanubrutinib-related clinical events were similar between the two cohorts. While the zanubrutinib cohort had a higher prevalence of infections (33% vs 3%) and musculoskeletal pain (24% vs 7%) at baseline, the ibrutinib cohort had a higher prevalence of hypertension (20% vs 14%). The baseline prevalence of anemia was similar in both cohorts (ibrutinib, 27%; zanubrutinib, 29%). Mean follow-up was 6.9 months (ibrutinib) and 6.3 months (zanubrutinib). The mean ± SD duration of therapy was 152 ± 112 days (ibrutinib) and 113 ± 99 days (zanubrutinib; p=0.195). The ibrutinib cohort had a significantly lower all-cause HRU PPPM (4.53 ± 3.96 vs 8.53 ± 6.66, p=0.020) and lower WM-specific HRU PPPM (0.11 ± 0.26 vs 0.54 ± 1.14, p=0.104). Conclusions: In this real-world analysis, patients with WM treated with 1L ibrutinib had a numerically longer duration of therapy and lower all-cause and WM-specific HRU PPPM, compared to those treated with 1L zanubrutinib. Due to a small sample size and short follow-up, these findings should be interpreted cautiously.

Real-World Treatment Patterns, Outcomes, Health Care Resource Utilization and Cost Burden of Multiple Myeloma in South Korea Using the National Claims Data

Introduction As multiple myeloma (MM) treatments are rapidly evolving, treatment outcomes significantly have improved over the last decade while the disease burden is inevitably rising. Understanding the real-world treatment patterns and health care resource utilization (HCRU) and costs associated with the novel agents is important in evaluating the value of novel treatments. This study aimed to describe the trends of treatment patterns, outcomes, HCRU and cost burden of MM in real-world practice between 2010 and 2020. Methods A retrospective observational study was conducted using the national insurance claims database provided by the Heath Insurance Review and Assessment, which covers the entire South Korean population. MM patients newly diagnosed from January 2010 to December 2019 were followed up from their first MM diagnosis to the earliest of death or the end of study period. An algorithm was developed to identify MM regimens and lines of therapy (LOT); MM drugs prescribed within the first 21 days of LOT initiation were considered to constitute the same LOT, and MM drugs that were not part of the LOT or prescribed after 180 days from the last observed prescription were considered to initiate the next LOT. Time to next treatment (TTNT), treatment duration (TD), and 5-year survival rate were assessed descriptively. Overall survival (OS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test for significance. HCRU and costs were assessed during the TTNT and TD of each LOT. MM-related HCRU and costs included MM and MM-related comorbidities. Results Among 11,450 eligible patients, 3,080 (26.9%) patients received stem cell transplant (SCT) and 9,825 (85.8%) patients received the 1st LOT (1L). Of these patients, 5,346 (46.7%) patients advanced to 2L, 2,759 (24.1%) patients to 3L, 1,431 (12.5%) patients to 4L, and 709 (6.2%) patients to 5+L. In SCT patients, after the novel agent introduction, the most common regimens changed to VT (bortezomib/thalidomide) from T in 1L, KR (carfilzomib/lenalidomide) from V in 2L, P (pomalidomide) from R in 3L, and D (daratumumab) from R in 4L. In non-SCT patients, the most common regimens in 1L (VM) and 2L (R) did not change after the novel agent introduction while P and D became most common from R in 3L and 4L, respectively. Similarly, the most common treatment sequence changed after the novel agent introduction. Most patients received 1L (39.1%) only or up to 2L (22.6%) during the follow-up period; in SCT patients, the most common sequences changed to VT-based (48.1%) and VT-based with subsequent KR-based (12.1%) from T-based (11.7%) and T-based with subsequent V-based; in non-SCT patients, the most common sequence changed to VM-based (30.0%) and R-based from VM-based (24.8%) and chemo-based (11.4%). TTNT decreased as LOT advanced from 571.5 days (time to 2L) to 289.1 days (time to 5+L), and TD of LOT ranged from 200.0 days to 283.7 days. SCT patients showed longer TTNT and TD than non-SCT patients, except for 1L where SCT patients showed shorter TD. The median OS of all patients was 5.49 years, and SCT patients showed significantly longer OS (10.1 yrs) than non-SCT patients (4.0 yrs). The 5-year survival rate of all patients was 50.5%, and the rate decreased as LOT advanced from 36.5% (1L) to 21.1% (5+ L). SCT patients (47.7%) showed higher rate than non-SCT patients (33.8%), and the rate in SCT patients increased from 65.7% in 2010 to 76.5% in 2015. All-cause HCRU was higher in the advanced LOTs compared to 1L, and healthcare cost increased with the LOT advancement after 1L initiation regardless of SCT status or novel agent introduction. The average length of hospital stay per admission was 22.4 days during the follow-up period, and the length of stay also increased as LOT advanced. The overall all-cause HCRU and cost were higher in non-SCT patients and after novel agent introduction. Similar trends were observed in MM-related HCRU and cost (Table 1). Conclusion This large population-based study found that the novel agent introduction has led to the increase of HCRU and costs of MM but was also associated with better treatment outcomes in terms of survival. The HCRU and costs increased with the advancement of LOT. These findings suggest that a comprehensive understanding of economic burden and treatment outcomes would be required for evaluating the value of novel agent and selecting the optimal treatment options.