Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: The increasing prevalence of mental health diagnoses among youth, particularly post-pandemic, as highlighted by the U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on youth mental health in 2021, has created a substantial economic burden on healthcare, manifesting in direct and indirect costs. Disparities in access to mental health care, notably tele-mental health services, exacerbate these challenges by contributing to delayed or fragmented care. This research aims to explore whether integrating individual-level RWD from medical claims enables the identification of targeted, patient-centered interventions that minimize disparities in treatment access, optimize resource utilization, and improve clinical outcomes.
METHODS: Quantitative analyses were conducted using approximately one billion de-identified patient-level medical claims between 2019 and 2023. The study sample was categorized by mental health conditions, derived from relevant procedure and diagnosis codes. We analyzed trends across diagnosis, age, and service location, examining variance across conditions such as gender identity disorders, eating disorders, anxiety, phobic disorders, and developmental disabilities.
RESULTS: Among all age groups, mental health diagnoses with the largest percentage increase in claims included stress (86%), developmental disabilities (75%), anxiety (72%), and depression (52%). Mental health diagnoses with the largest percentage increase in claims among children under 18 included gender identity disorders (152%), eating disorders (131%), phobic disorders (98%), anxiety (82%), and developmental disabilities (77%).
CONCLUSIONS: RWD from medical claims provides up-to-date insights into patients’ behavioral and healthcare encounter patterns and identifies regional and demographic disparities in care access, facilitating more personalized care and better outcomes. By analyzing claims data, HEOR professionals can pinpoint cost drivers, particularly those associated with fragmented care and service delays, including tele-mental health. Additionally, this approach helps forecast future needs, enabling proactive decision-making to reduce costly interventions, enhance long-term sustainability, and ultimately alleviate the broader economic burden on health systems by minimizing inefficiencies and ensuring more timely, equitable care for youth mental health needs.