Patient characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of Rickettsial diseases among a commercially insured population in the United States, 2005-2017.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Binder AM
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8443668 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:PURPOSE:To describe epidemiologic features of patients with presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome (POHS) in the United States using insurance claims data and compare POHS patients with and without choroidal neovascularization (CNV). DESIGN:Retrospective cohort study. METHODS:Patients with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes for histoplasmosis retinitis on an outpatient claim in the 2014 IBM® MarketScan® Commercial Database and the Medicare Supplemental Database who were enrolled for at least 2 years after the POHS code. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Data related to testing, treatment, and direct medical costs. RESULTS:Among >50 million total MarketScan enrollees, 6,678 (13 per 100,000) had a POHS diagnosis code. Of those, 2,718 were enrolled for 2 years; 698 (25%) of whom had a CNV code. Eleven of the 13 states with the highest POHS rates bordered the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. CNV patients had significantly more eye care provider visits (mean 8.8 vs. 3.2, p<0.0001), more ophthalmic imaging tests, higher rates of treatment with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections (45% vs. 4%, p<0.0001), and incurred higher mean total yearly costs ($1,251.83 vs. $251.36, p<0.0001) than POHS patients without CNV. CONCLUSIONS:Although the relationship between Histoplasma and POHS remains controversial, geographic patterns of POHS patient residence were consistent with the traditionally reported range of the fungus. CNV in the context of POHS was associated with additional healthcare use and costs. Further research to understand POHS etiology, risk factors, prevalence, and complications is needed, along with early diagnosis and treatment strategies.
| S-EPMC7069623 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionEculizumab is a licensed treatment for several rare, complement-mediated diseases. Eculizumab use is associated with an approximately 2,000-fold increased meningococcal disease risk. In the United States, meningococcal vaccines are recommended for eculizumab recipients but there are no recommendations on use of long-term antibiotic prophylaxis. We describe characteristics of and meningococcal vaccine and antibiotic receipt in U.S. eculizumab recipients to inform meningococcal disease prevention strategies.MethodsPersons in the IBM® MarketScan® Research Databases with ≥1 claim for eculizumab injection during 2007-2017 were included. Indication for eculizumab use, meningococcal vaccine receipt, and antibiotic receipt were assessed using International Classification of Diseases-9/10 diagnosis codes, vaccine administration procedure codes, and antibiotic codes from pharmacy claims, respectively.ResultsOverall 696 persons met the inclusion criteria. Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) were the most common indications for eculizumab use (41% and 37%, respectively); 20% had an undetermined indication. From June 2015 through December 2017, 28% (41/148) of continuously-enrolled patients received ≥1 serogroup B vaccine dose. For serogroup ACWY conjugate vaccine, 45% (91/201) of patients received ≥1 dose within five years of their most recent eculizumab dose, as recommended. Of eculizumab recipients with outpatient prescription data, 7% (41/579) received antibiotics for ≥50% of the period of increased risk for meningococcal disease.ConclusionMany eculizumab recipients had an undetermined indication for eculizumab use; few were up-to-date for recommended meningococcal vaccines or were prescribed antibiotics long-term. These findings can inform further investigation of how to best protect this population from meningococcal disease.
| S-EPMC7660549 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background:Giardiasis, the most common enteric parasitic infection in the United States, causes an estimated 1.2 million episodes of illness annually. Published clinical recommendations include readily available Giardia-specific diagnostic testing and antiparasitic drugs. We investigated sequences of giardiasis diagnostic and treatment events using MarketScan, a large health insurance claims database. Methods:We created a longitudinal cohort of 2995 persons diagnosed with giardiasis (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification [ICD-9-CM] code 007.1) from 2006 to 2010, and analyzed claims occurring 90 days before to 90 days after initial diagnosis. We evaluated differences in number and sequence of visits, diagnostic tests, and prescriptions by age group (children 1-17 years, adults 18-64 years) using ?2 tests and data visualization software. Results:Among 2995 patients (212433 claims), 18% had a Giardia-specific test followed by or concurrent with an effective antiparasitic drug, without ineffective antibiotics. Almost two-thirds of patients had an antiparasitic and 27% had an antibiotic during the study window. Compared with children, adults more often had ?3 visits before diagnosis (19% vs 15%; P = .02). Adults were also less likely to have a Giardia-specific diagnostic test (48% vs 58%; P < .001) and more likely to have an antibiotic prescription (28% vs 25%; P = .04). When Giardia-specific tests and antiparasitic and antibiotic prescriptions were examined, pediatric clinical event sequences most frequently began with a Giardia-specific test, whereas adult sequences most frequently began with an antiparasitic prescription. Conclusions:Giardiasis care infrequently follows all aspects of clinical recommendations. Multiple differences between pediatric and adult care, despite age-agnostic recommendations, suggest opportunities for provider education or tailored guidance.
| S-EPMC5532738 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundInfections with Histoplasma can range from asymptomatic to life-threatening acute pulmonary or disseminated disease. Histoplasmosis can be challenging to diagnose and is widely underrecognized. We analyzed insurance claims data to better characterize histoplasmosis testing and treatment practices and its burden on patients.MethodsWe used the IBM MarketScan Research Databases to identify patients with histoplasmosis (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes 115.00-115.99) during 2012-2014. We analyzed claims in the 3 months before to the 1 year after diagnosis and examined differences between patients with probable (hospitalized or >1 outpatient visit) and suspected (1 outpatient visit) histoplasmosis.ResultsAmong 1935 patients (943 probable, 992 suspected), 54% had codes for symptoms or findings consistent with histoplasmosis and 35% had ≥2 healthcare visits in the 3 months before diagnosis. Overall, 646 (33%) had any fungal-specific laboratory test: histoplasmosis antibody test (n = 349 [18%]), Histoplasma antigen test (n = 349 [18%]), fungal smear (n = 294 [15%]), or fungal culture (n = 223 [12%]); 464 (24%) had a biopsy. Forty-nine percent of probable patients and 10% of suspected patients were prescribed antifungal medication in the outpatient setting. In total, 19% were hospitalized. Patients' last histoplasmosis-associated healthcare visits occurred a median of 6 months after diagnosis.ConclusionsSome histoplasmosis patients experienced severe disease, apparent diagnostic delays, and prolonged illness, whereas other patients lacked symptoms and were likely diagnosed incidentally (eg, via biopsy). Low rates of histoplasmosis-specific testing also suggest incidental diagnoses and low provider suspicion, highlighting the need for improved awareness about this disease.
| S-EPMC6821563 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionThere are limited data on treatment patterns, adverse events (AEs), and economic burden in younger, commercially insured patients treated for mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).MethodsAdults with ≥1 treatment for MCL between 1 November 2013-31 December 2017 were identified from IQVIA Real-World Data Adjudicated Claims-US; index date was first treatment. Patients carried ≥1 MCL diagnosis, were newly treated, and were enrolled continuously for ≥12 months prior to and ≥30 days following index. Patients receiving the four most common MCL regimens were included. Measures included frequency of incident AEs, resource use, and costs overall and by number of AEs. Adjusted logistic regression and generalized linear modeling evaluated risk of hospitalization and all-cause costs per patient per month (PPPM).ResultsTwo thousand five hundred and nine treated patients had a drug-specific code and were classified to a specific treatment regimen. Of those patients, 1785 patients received at least one of the four most commonly used MCL regimens (R-CHOP, rituximab monotherapy, B-R, and ibrutinib) at some point over follow-up (median 23 months). R-CHOP was the most common regimen observed in the first line (26%), followed by rituximab monotherapy (19%), B-R (15%), and ibrutinib (5%). The median age was 57 years; median Charlson Comorbidity Index was 0. Among patients receiving the four most common regimens, 63% of patients experienced ≥1 incident AE (R-CHOP 77%, B-R 58%, and ibrutinib 52%). An increasing number of incident AEs was associated with increased hospitalization risk (odds ratio = 2.4; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 2.1-2.7) and increased mean costs PPPM (cost ratio = 1.1; 95% CI 1.1-1.2).DiscussionThis is the largest study describing treatment patterns and clinical and economic impact of MCL treatment. The most common regimens were R-CHOP, rituximab monotherapy, B-R, and ibrutinib. The majority of treated patients experienced at least one incident AE, with hospitalization risk and all-cause costs increasing as the number of AEs increased.
| S-EPMC6885896 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesThe healthcare burden associated with porphyria remains unevaluated despite the associated increased risks of morbidity and mortality. We aimed to assess the healthcare utilization and cost burdens of porphyria in the United States (US) using real-world claims data.MethodsWe performed a case-control analysis of adults in the Truven Health MarketScan® Commercial Claims database (2010-2015). Using propensity scores, 2788 porphyria cases were matched 1:1 to porphyria-free controls with chronic liver disease. Total and service-specific parameters were quantified for the 12 months before porphyria diagnosis versus the 12 months after diagnosis and over the 12 months following a randomly selected date for controls. Wilcoxon signed rank tests and McNemar tests were used to examine incremental differences in burden between cases and controls. Adjusted multivariable generalized linear regression models were used to compare healthcare burdens for cases versus controls.ResultsRelative to the 12 months before porphyria diagnosis, the following 12 months had more claims per patient (35.94 vs 39.67; p < 0.0001) and increased per-patient healthcare costs (US$21,308 vs US$27,270; p < 0.0001). Porphyria cases incurred US$7839 more in total unadjusted costs compared with controls in the 12 months after index date. Compared with controls, cases also had more claims (39.67 vs 34.81), primarily due to inpatient admissions (1.80 vs 0.78) and outpatient visits (21.41 vs 17.98). Cases also had higher healthcare costs for inpatient admissions (US$8882 vs US$4674) and outpatient visits (US$12,378 vs US$9801).ConclusionPorphyria is associated with significant healthcare costs and utilization burdens driven by increased inpatient admissions, outpatient visits, and pharmaceutical claims.
| S-EPMC7895889 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe United States is undergoing a crippling opioid epidemic, spurred in part by overuse of prescription opioids by adults 25 to 64 years of age. Of concern are long-duration and high-dose initial prescriptions, which place the patients and their friends and relatives at heightened risk for long-term opioid use, misuse, overdose, and death.MethodsWe estimated the incidence of initial opioid prescriptions in each month between July 2012 and December 2017 using administrative-claims data from across the United States (accessed through Blue Cross-Blue Shield [BCBS] Axis); monthly incidence was estimated as the percentage of enrollees who received an initial opioid prescription among those who had not used opioids (i.e., no opioid prescription or a diagnosis of opioid use disorder in the 6 months before a given month). We then estimated the percentage of enrollees initiating opioid therapy who received a long-duration or high-dose initial opioid prescription in each month during this period. We also calculated the number of providers who initiated opioid therapy in any patient who had not used opioids in each month and examined monthly trends in the duration and dose of initial opioid prescriptions in prescriber and patient subgroups. Our study sample included 63,817,512 enrollees who had not used opioids (mean, 15,897,673 per month).ResultsThe monthly incidence of initial opioid prescriptions among enrollees who had not used opioids declined by 54%, from 1.63% in July 2012 to 0.75% in December 2017. This decline was accompanied by a decreasing number of providers (from 114,043 in July 2012 to 80,462 in December 2017) who initiated opioid therapy in any patient who had not used opioids. Nonetheless, among the shrinking subgroup of physicians who initiated opioid therapy in such patients, high-risk prescribing (i.e., prescriptions for more than a 3-day supply or for a dose of 50 morphine milligram equivalents per day or higher) persisted at a monthly rate of 115,378 prescriptions per 15,897,673 enrollees who had not used opioids.ConclusionsAs the opioid crisis progressed between July 2012 and December 2017, many providers stopped initiating opioid therapy. Although the number of initial opioid prescriptions declined, a subgroup of providers continued to write high-risk initial opioid prescriptions. (Funded by the National Institute on Aging and a gift from Owen and Linda Robinson.).
| S-EPMC6487883 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundClinical guidelines increasingly recommended ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) for hypertension diagnosis and management. Yet, ABPM is used infrequently in the United States, possibly because of low insurance coverage and high patient costs. We sought to analyze out-of-pocket payments (OPPs) for ABPM among privately insured patients.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis using IBM® MarketScan® commercial claims of beneficiaries aged ≥18 years receiving ABPM from January 2012 to December 2018. The date of first ABPM claim (Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System codes 93784, 93786, 93788, or 93790) was considered the index date. Patients with 12 months of continuous enrollment preindex and 30-day postindex were included. Per beneficiary OPP was calculated by aggregating all ABPM-related OPPs within the 30-day postindex window (ABPM episode).ResultsOf 22,317 beneficiaries receiving ABPM, 62% had $0 OPP and 38% had OPP >$0. Among the latter, median OPP per beneficiary for an ABPM episode was $23 (interquartile range [IQR], $14, $32), driven primarily by full ABPM claims (median, $22; IQR, $14, $24). Among individual components, scan analysis and report claims (median, $25; IQR, $13, $49) had the greatest OPP. The median OPP per ABPM episode did not change substantively from 2012 through 2018.ConclusionsAmong commercially insured in the United States, nearly 4-in-10 have an OPP for ABPM. Though most OPPs are relatively modest, some patients incur substantial OPP. Our findings highlight the need for policymakers to ensure adequate ABPM coverage in the commercial insurance marketplace.
| S-EPMC7608520 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background and aimsThiopurines, including 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) and azathioprine (AZA), are the mainstay of maintenance therapy for Crohn's disease (CD). However, studies examining their effectiveness in routine practice among diverse patient populations are lacking. Among a cohort of new users of 6MP/AZA, we described treatment patterns and changes in subsequent therapy.MethodsUsing the Truven Health Analytics databases, we identified all individuals diagnosed with CD and initiating 6-MP/AZA monotherapy from 2001-2008 (n=3,657). We estimated the proportion of CD patients remaining on 6-MP/AZA monotherapy, using Kaplan-Meier methods, and identified predictors of treatment noncontinuation, using multivariable Cox regression. Among the "noncontinuers," we described subsequent patterns of maintenance therapy and summarized the diagnosis and procedure codes and prescription drug claims preceding treatment discontinuation.ResultsThe 1-year 6-MP/AZA treatment continuation rate was 42%. Children (age ?18 years) and individuals with no prior anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) use were more likely to continue 6-MP/AZA, while those dispensed more (>4) outpatient prescriptions for any drug before initiation of 6-MP/AZA were less likely to continue maintenance treatment. Overall, 1,128 (39%) and 105 (4%) individuals experienced a clinical event potentially indicating active disease or 6-MP/AZA-intolerance prior to discontinuation, respectively. Most patients discontinued therapy; among the remaining patients who failed to continue 6-MP/AZA, most augmented with an anti-TNF.ConclusionMost patients initiating 6-MP/AZA monotherapy did not continue beyond 1 year. In contrast to trial evidence showing 1-year remission rates of 40%-80%, this study observed a lower effectiveness of 6-MP/AZA treatment, possibly due to differences in disease severity, patient demographics, comorbidity, adherence, and health care utilization.
| S-EPMC3857068 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesWe examined the proportion of patients initiating extended-release (ER) opioids who become long-term users and describe how pain-related diagnoses before initiation of opioid therapy vary between drugs and over time.MethodsUsing MarketScan (2006-2015), a US national commercial insurance database, we examined pain-related diagnoses in the 182-day baseline period before initiation of ER opioid therapy to characterize indications for opioid initiation. We report the proportion who became long-term users, the median length of opioid therapy, and the proportion with cancer and other noncancer chronic pain, by active ingredient.ResultsAmong 1,077,566 adults initiating ER opioids, 31% became long-term users, with a median length of use of 209 days. The most common ER opioids prescribed were oxycodone (26%) and fentanyl (23%), and the most common noncancer pain diagnoses were back pain (65%) and arthritis (48%). Among all long-term users, 16% had a diagnosis of cancer. We found notable variation by drug. Eighteen percent of patients initiating drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration >10 years ago had evidence of cancer during baseline compared with only 8% of patients who received newer drugs.ConclusionsIn a national sample of adults with private insurance, back pain was the most common diagnosis preceding initiation of opioid therapy. Opioids that have been approved within the last 10 years were more frequently associated with musculoskeletal pains and less frequently associated with cancer. Amid increasing concerns regarding long-term opioid therapy, our findings provide context regarding the conditions for which long-term opioid therapy is prescribed.
| S-EPMC7534397 | biostudies-literature