HEALTHCARE RESOURCE UTILIZATIONS AND COSTS AMONG PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY PROGRESSIVE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS - A COMPARISON OF PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT UPPER LIMB FUNCTION IMPAIRMENT
Author(s)
Hardtstock F1, Muros-Le Rouzic E2, Vaskantiras V2, van Beek J2, Craveiro L2, Kocaata Z3, Wilke T4
1IPAM, University of Wismar, Wismar, MV, Germany, 2F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland, 3Ingress-Health HWM GmbH, Wismar, MV, Germany, 4Ingress-Health HWM GmbH, Wismar, Germany
OBJECTIVES Despite the high prevalence of upper limb function impairment (ULFI) in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), little is known about ULFI-associated healthcare resource use (HCRU) and costs. This study aimed to compare HCRU and costs among PPMS patients with/without ULFI in Germany. METHODS Data from a large statutory health insurance fund in Germany (AOK PLUS, 3.2 million insured persons) were analysed retrospectively, including patients alive at 01/01/2017 with ≥1 inpatient and/or ≥2 confirmed outpatient diagnoses of PPMS (ICD-10 G35.2) by a neurologist between 2010-2016. HCRU and costs in 2017 were compared between PPMS patients with/without ULFI (ICD-10 G82.4, G82.5, or G81 without previous diagnosis of cerebrovascular events [I60-69]), diagnosed between 2010-2016. RESULTS 929 PPMS patients (454 with ULFI, mean age: 62.1, 65.6% female; 475 without ULFI, mean age: 61.2, 72.8% female) were identified. Mean number of physician visits per patient year (PPY) was slightly higher in patients with ULFI (general practitioner: 4.50 vs. 4.07, p=0.011; neurologist: 2.78 vs. 2.51, p=0.044). For number of hospitalizations PPY, a greater difference was observed (all-cause: 1.48 vs. 0.76, p<0.001; with MS-related (G35) as primary diagnosis: 1.27 vs. 0.57, p<0.001). The average length of stay in hospital was not significantly different (MS-related 6.57 days vs. all-cause 6.99 days, p>0.1). PPMS patients with ULFI had about twice as many rehabilitation stays as non-ULFI patients (0.19 stays PPY vs. 0.09, p=0.044). Overall direct costs were significantly higher for patients with ULFI (16,840€ vs. 12,484€ on average PPY; p<0.001), especially driven by differences in costs of hospitalizations (6,772€ vs. 2,570€; p<0.001), and other aids and remedies (e.g. lancets and needles) (3,840€ vs. 1,607€, p<0.001). Cost of outpatient prescriptions did not differ from each other significantly. CONCLUSIONS In this study, PPMS patients with ULFI have substantially higher HCRU and costs compared to those without ULFI.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2019-11, ISPOR Europe 2019, Copenhagen, Denmark
Code
PND122
Topic
Economic Evaluation, Epidemiology & Public Health
Disease
Neurological Disorders