HEALTH CARE RESOURCE UTILIZATION AMONG PATIENTS WITH MODERATE-TO-SEVERE PLAQUE PSORIASIS IN BRAZIL
Author(s)
Lopes N, Suzuki C, Machado P
Novartis Biociências SA, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Presentation Documents
OBJECTIVES: To estimate the healthcare resource utilization (HRU) among moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis patients in Brazil. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, observational and multicenter study enrolling Brazilian patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Disease severity was assessed by physicians. Data were collected between December2015 and November2016 in 10 specialized centers. HRU was evaluated as the percentage of patients self-reporting their consumption of resources in the last 12 months. Resources consisted of drug treatment, phototherapy, alternative therapies, laboratory and imaging tests, hospitalization, outpatient visits, and emergency visits. Frequency and average consumption were analyzed. RESULTS: The study enrolled 188 patients; mean age at study visit was 48 (±13.1) years. Most of them were female (52.1%), Caucasian/white (68.6%). 30.5% (57/187) of patients reported being treated with biologic agents, 54% (101/187) with conventional systemic drugs and 95.7% (179/187) with topical therapy. 22.3% (42/188) subjects received at least one session oh phototherapy and 16/188 patients (8.5%) reported the use of alternative therapies. Among patients who performed tests (n=159), 43.4% underwent imaging tests and 97.5% laboratory tests. Only 4 and 14 patients were hospitalized and needed emergency due to a cause related to psoriasis, respectively. Exacerbation was the main cause for both hospitalization (75.0%) and emergency (50.0%). Dermatologist was the most frequent specialty (98.9%, 178/180) among physicians, with a mean of 5.4 visits per year per patient. Among other healthcare professionals, psychologist was the most frequent (42.5%, 17/40) followed by nutritionist (40%, 16/40). CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that although most of moderate to severe psoriasis patients are being treated, only 30% are using biologic agent. Moreover, there is an important HRU among Brazilian moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis patients, indicating room for improvement in the management of their disease and an economic burden for the society.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2017-11, ISPOR Europe 2017, Glasgow, Scotland
Value in Health, Vol. 20, No. 9 (October 2017)
Code
PSY128
Topic
Economic Evaluation
Topic Subcategory
Cost/Cost of Illness/Resource Use Studies
Disease
Sensory System Disorders