Assessing the Relationship Between Pruritus and Work Productivity Among Individuals With PBC and Pruritus: Results From the ITCH-E Study
Author(s)
Cynthia Levy, MD1, Maria Agapova, PhD2, Marvin Rock, MPH, DrPH2, Woodie Moore Zachry, III, RPh, PhD2, Chong H Kim, MPH, MS, PhD2.
1Schiff Center for Liver Diseases, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA, 2Gilead Sciences, Foster City, CA, USA.
1Schiff Center for Liver Diseases, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA, 2Gilead Sciences, Foster City, CA, USA.
Presentation Documents
OBJECTIVES: Individuals living with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) are commonly impacted by pruritus, which may cause issues with sleep, fatigue, pain and social isolation. This study assessed the relationship between pruritus severity and work productivity among a small sample of adult PBC patients in the United States.
METHODS: Adults with PBC were recruited from a PBC patient advocacy group and a physician panel between 12/2023 and 03/2024. Participants completed the Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) Specific Health Problem V2.0, Clinical Practice Version. The relationship between Pruritus NRS and WPAI were analyzed using generalized linear regression models.
RESULTS: The sample included 42 employed participants with PBC. The mean (SD) age was 51.8 (8.8), females comprised 90.5% of the sample, and whites comprised 83.3% of the sample and 78.6% of the participants were insured via private insurance. Among the sample, 26.2%, 23.8%, and 14.3% of the participants had high blood pressure, anxiety, and cirrhosis, respectively. Mean (SD) NRS was 3.93 (2.98); half of the employed participants had NRS ≥4 while 8 (19.0%) of the participants had NRS = 0. Seven (16.7%) of the patients were on pruritus treatments (antibiotics, antihistamines, fibrates, gabapentin, opiate antagonists, and sertraline). Poisson regression model results demonstrated that an increase in 1 unit of NRS was associated with an 17% (10%-25%) increase in PBC-related work-hours missed in the past week and a 4% (3%-6%) decrease in hours worked in the past week due to any cause.
CONCLUSIONS: The results from this analysis suggests a positive association between pruritus severity and work hours lost among employed adults with PBC, emphasizing the need for safe and efficacious PBC treatments that can improve pruritus.
METHODS: Adults with PBC were recruited from a PBC patient advocacy group and a physician panel between 12/2023 and 03/2024. Participants completed the Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) Specific Health Problem V2.0, Clinical Practice Version. The relationship between Pruritus NRS and WPAI were analyzed using generalized linear regression models.
RESULTS: The sample included 42 employed participants with PBC. The mean (SD) age was 51.8 (8.8), females comprised 90.5% of the sample, and whites comprised 83.3% of the sample and 78.6% of the participants were insured via private insurance. Among the sample, 26.2%, 23.8%, and 14.3% of the participants had high blood pressure, anxiety, and cirrhosis, respectively. Mean (SD) NRS was 3.93 (2.98); half of the employed participants had NRS ≥4 while 8 (19.0%) of the participants had NRS = 0. Seven (16.7%) of the patients were on pruritus treatments (antibiotics, antihistamines, fibrates, gabapentin, opiate antagonists, and sertraline). Poisson regression model results demonstrated that an increase in 1 unit of NRS was associated with an 17% (10%-25%) increase in PBC-related work-hours missed in the past week and a 4% (3%-6%) decrease in hours worked in the past week due to any cause.
CONCLUSIONS: The results from this analysis suggests a positive association between pruritus severity and work hours lost among employed adults with PBC, emphasizing the need for safe and efficacious PBC treatments that can improve pruritus.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-05, ISPOR 2025, Montréal, Quebec, CA
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S1
Code
EE442
Topic
Economic Evaluation
Topic Subcategory
Work & Home Productivity - Indirect Costs
Disease
SDC: Rare & Orphan Diseases, SDC: Systemic Disorders/Conditions (Anesthesia, Auto-Immune Disorders (n.e.c.), Hematological Disorders (non-oncologic), Pain)