Valuation and Exploitation of Sick Leaves Identified in the French SNDS Database

OBJECTIVES: The analysis of sick leaves, particularly within the French National Health Data System (SNDS), prompts several questions about effectively describing and leveraging these direct costs, which pose a significant economic burden in many diseases. A study was conducted on patients undergoing triple therapy(marker of severity) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), aiming to describe and analyze those with sick leaves.

METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted using the SNDS. Adult patients (≥40 years) treated with triple therapy for COPD between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2015 were included. A 6-year follow-up period was used to identify sick leaves through daily allowances paid by the French National Health Insurance (NHI). Patients with at least one sick leave were then analyzed using descriptive analyses and a graphical representation method based on patient clustering (TAK methodology).

RESULTS: In 2015, 186,963 COPD patients treated by triple therapy were included. Of these, 63% were men, and 25% were under 61 years old. Between 2015 and 2016, 14,146 patients (7.5%) had at least one sick leave, with a mean associated sick leave cost of €5,750 (±11 969) per patient per year. More than 20% of them had a sick leave lasting more than one year.

CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the significant impact of sick leaves among COPD patients. The findings reveal that a notable proportion of these patients require substantial time off work, with over 20% experiencing prolonged sick leaves exceeding one year with an increased financial burden on the NHI system. Additionally, the use of advanced methodologies, such as TAK for patient clustering, offers valuable insights into the patterns of sick leaves.