Additional file 1. Additional information including post-match demographic data, most impactful comorbidities, total HCRU, and total all-cause cost data for DM and cDM groups and controls for all study periods is provided in Supplementary Tables S1-S5 (in excel format). Table S1. Baseline Demographic Characteristics (post-match). Table S2. DM Cohort Most Impactful Comorbidities. Table S3. cDM Cohort Most Impactful Comorbidities. Table S4. Total HCRU & All-cause Costs for DM Cohort over 12-, 13-23, 24-35, 36-47 & 48+ Month Follow-Up Periods. Table S5. Total HCRU & All-cause Costs for cDM Cohort over 12-, 13-23, 24-35, 36-47 & 48+ Month Follow-Up Periods.
BACKGROUND: People with diabetes are at an increased risk of developing numerous complications, resulting in increased health care expenditures, economic burden, and higher mortality. For patients using an insulin pump or multiple insulin injections, self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is recognized as a core component of effective diabetes self-management. However, little is known about the real-world frequency and true costs associated with SMBG as a percentage of an insulin regimen in the United States. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate SMBG frequency, SMBG-related costs (including blood glucose test strips and testing supplies), and insulin therapy costs among insulin-dependent patients with diabetes and at least 1 pharmacy claim for blood glucose testing strips during a 12-month follow-up period. METHODS: A retrospective database analysis was conducted using the IMS LifeLink Health Plan Claims database to capture the frequency and costs associated with SMBG in relation to a specific insulin regimen, and SMBG expenditure compared with other treatment costs. The study employed a retrospective cohort analysis of patients with 2 or more claims for insulin between January 1, 2007, and June 30, 2009, with the first such claim representing the index date. All patients were required to have 6 months of pre-index continuous enrollment (pre-index period) and 12 months of post-index continuous enrollment (follow-up period). Patients were also required to have a diagnosis of diabetes in the pre-index period and to have no gaps of more than 90 days between consecutive insulin claims during the 360-day follow-up period. Patients without at least 1 pharmacy claim for blood glucose testing strips during the 12-month follow-up period and patients with pharmacy claims with extreme values (greater than 1,500 strips) were excluded. Depending on the insulin types used within the 30 days immediately following their index date, patients were subcategorized into 1 of 4 insulin regimen groups (basal, bolus, premixed, or basal-bolus). Patients' frequency of blood glucose testing was measured throughout their 12-month post-index follow-up period through analysis of clinical codes found on pharmacy claims. Quantity supplied fields on pharmacy claims were used to calculate total tests utilized over the follow-up period (e.g., 50 test strips dispensed = 50 tests assumed). Insulin-related costs were also evaluated for the 12-month follow-up period. RESULTS: Among an initial sample of 373,946 patients with at least 2 claims for insulin between January 1, 2007, and June 30, 2009, 45,555 patients (12.2%) formed the final overall cohort who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. SMBG-related pharmacy costs accounted for 27% of the insulin- and SMBG-related treatment costs for insulin users with an average $772 per patient in prescription testing strips and supplies versus $2,078 for insulin prescriptions and supplies. With an overall mean utilization for pharmacy-based SMBG testing of 764.3 strips per year, the average cost per testing strip was $0.98. Annual SMBG costs were 24.5% of total insulin and SMBG-related pharmacy costs for the basal insulin group compared with 35.8% for bolus, 21.0% for premixed, and 26.4% for basal-bolus. CONCLUSION: For insulin users with at least 1 pharmacy claim for glucose test strips, SMBG-related costs accounted for about one-fourth of total insulin and SMBG-related pharmacy costs.
Additional file 1. Additional information including post-match demographic data, most impactful comorbidities, total HCRU, and total all-cause cost data for DM and cDM groups and controls for all study periods is provided in Supplementary Tables S1-S5 (in excel format). Table S1. Baseline Demographic Characteristics (post-match). Table S2. DM Cohort Most Impactful Comorbidities. Table S3. cDM Cohort Most Impactful Comorbidities. Table S4. Total HCRU & All-cause Costs for DM Cohort over 12-, 13-23, 24-35, 36-47 & 48+ Month Follow-Up Periods. Table S5. Total HCRU & All-cause Costs for cDM Cohort over 12-, 13-23, 24-35, 36-47 & 48+ Month Follow-Up Periods.
Aim: Compare healthcare resource utilization and costs among patients with HER2+ metastatic breast cancer (MBC) with and without central nervous system (CNS) metastases. Methods: Retrospective matched cohort study using IQVIA's PharMetrics® Plus claims database. Results: Patients with CNS metastases (n = 753) experienced more outpatient, emergency room and inpatient visits versus controls (n = 753; all p < 0.05). In the post-index year, median total all-cause healthcare costs were significantly higher among patients with CNS metastases versus controls ($112,402 vs $50,835; p < 0.0001); outpatient costs primarily drove the cost differential. Conclusion: More effective therapies are needed that improve clinical outcomes and reduce economic burden associated with CNS metastases in patients with HER2+ MBC.
Arginase 1 Deficiency (ARG1-D) is an inherited metabolic disease that leads to significant morbidity.Despite the recognized burden of disease, information on health care resource utilization (HCRU) among patients with ARG1-D is lacking. We, therefore, sought to evaluate HCRU in ARG1-D relative to non-ARG1-D cohort.Patients with ≥2 ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes for ARG1-D were identified (first diagnosis code = index date) using professional fee claims linked with prescription claims. Patients with ARG1-D were matched 1:1 to a comparator cohort of patients with other medical conditions. Matching variables included age, sex, index year, payer type (Medicare, Medicaid, third party) and geographic region.A total of 77 patients met the inclusion criteria for the ARG1-D cohort, with a median age of 15 years, 52% <18 years, and 52% male. Several concurrent diagnoses were recorded at a higher frequency in the ARG1-D cohort versus the matched comparator (spasticity 7 times higher; developmental delay ∼2 times higher; intellectual disability 5 times higher; and seizures 8 times higher). Emergency room visits occurred twice as often, laboratory tests were performed 1.5 times more often, hospitalization was required 3 times more often, and mean length of stay was longer for patients with ARG1-D than the comparator cohort (2.4 days vs. 0.3 days).A relatively short study period while the burden of ARG1-D increases over a lifetime due to disease progression.Patients with ARG1-D had significantly greater HCRU compared with those without the disease; they presented with a more extensive comorbidity profile, accessed the health care system more frequently, required more intense monitoring and management, and had more frequent and longer hospitalizations relative to the comparator group. These findings demonstrate a high health burden in ARG1-D that is not mitigated by standard-of-care measures and emphasize the need for improved treatment options.