Economic Burden of Non-Infectious Inflammatory Eye Disease (NIIED) in a Commercially-Insured Population in the United States

Epidemiology, clinical features, and classification of 3,404 patients with uveitis: Colombian Uveitis Multicenter Study (COL-UVEA)

PURPOSE

To describe the epidemiology, clinical features, and classification of uveitis in a large cohort of Colombian patients.

METHODS

Data were collected from seven ophthalmological referral centers in the four main cities in Colombia. The study included patients with a confirmed diagnosis of uveitis from January 2010 to December 2022. Information on demographics, ophthalmic examination findings, uveitis classification, and etiology was recorded.

RESULTS

The study reviewed 3,404 clinical records of patients with uveitis. The mean age at diagnosis was 41.1 (SD 19.0) years, and 54.2% of the patients were female. Overall, 1,341(39.4%) were infectious, 626 (18.4%) non-infectious, and four masquerade syndromes (0.1%). The most common types of uveitis were unilateral (66.7%), acute (48.3%), and non-granulomatous (83%). Anterior uveitis was the most common anatomical localization (49.5%), followed by posterior uveitis (22.9%), panuveitis (22.3%), and intermediate uveitis (5.2%). A diagnosis was established in 3,252 (95.5%) cases; idiopathic was the most common cause (27.7%), followed by toxoplasmosis (25.3%) and virus-associated uveitis (6.4%). The age group between 30 and 50 exhibited the highest frequency of uveitis.

CONCLUSION

This multicenter study comprehensively describes uveitis characteristics in Colombian patients, providing valuable insights into its demographic and clinical features. The study findings emphasize the need to continue updating the changing patterns of uveitis to improve diagnosis and treatment strategies for diseases associated with intraocular inflammation.

Acthar Gel (RCI): A Narrative Literature Review of Clinical and Economic Evidence

Acthar^® Gel (repository corticotropin injection [RCI]) is a naturally sourced complex mixture of adrenocorticotropic hormone analogs and other pituitary peptides used to treat patients with serious and rare inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. This narrative review summarizes the key clinical and economic findings among 9 indications: infantile spasms (IS), multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), dermatomyositis and polymyositis (DM/PM), ocular inflammatory diseases (primarily uveitis and severe keratitis), symptomatic sarcoidosis, and proteinuria in nephrotic syndrome (NS). Key studies of clinical efficacy and healthcare resource utilization and cost from 1956 to 2022 are discussed. Evidence supports the efficacy of RCI across all 9 indications. RCI is recommended as first-line treatment for IS and is associated with improved outcomes for the other 8 indications, including increased recovery rates in MS relapse; improved disease control in RA, SLE, and DM/PM; real-world effectiveness in patients with uveitis and severe keratitis; improved lung function and reduced corticosteroid use in symptomatic sarcoidosis; and increased rates of partial remission of proteinuria in NS. For many indications, RCI may improve clinical outcomes during exacerbations or when conventional treatments have failed to show a benefit. RCI is also associated with a reduction in the use of biologics, corticosteroids, and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Economic data suggest RCI is a cost-effective, value-based treatment option for MS relapse, RA, and SLE. Other economic benefits have been demonstrated for IS, MS relapses, RA, SLE, and DM/PM, including reduced hospitalizations, lengths of stay, inpatient and outpatient services, and emergency department visits. RCI is considered safe and effective and features economic benefits for numerous indications. Its ability to control relapse and disease activity makes RCI an important nonsteroid treatment option that could help preserve functioning and well-being among patients with inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.

Analyzing the demographics of patients with uveitis in an indigent, urban population

PURPOSE

To study the types of uveitis examined in a hospital serving indigent populations in need of low-cost care.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review examined the electronic medical records of all patients with uveitis-related at Drexel Eye Physicians. Data collected included demographics, anatomic location of the uveitis, systemic disease associations, treatment modalities and insurance. Statistical analysis was performed using χ² or Fischer exact tests.

RESULTS

270 patients (366 eyes) were included for analysis, 67% of patients identified as African American. Most eyes (95.3%, N = 349) were treated with topical corticosteroid drops, and only 6 (1.6%) received an intravitreal implant. Immunosuppressive medications were started in 24 patients (8.9%). Nearly 80% depended to some extent on Medicare or Medicaid Assistance for treatment coverage. There was no association between insurance type and use of biologics or difluprednate.

CONCLUSION

We found no association between insurance type and the prescription of medications for uveitis that should be used at home. There was a minimal number of patients prescribed medications for implantation in the office. The adherence of use of medications at home should be investigated.

Predictors of High-cost Patients With Noninfectious Inflammatory Eye Diseases

PURPOSE

Noninfectious inflammatory eye diseases (NIIEDs), such as uveitis, is a general term used to describe a complex mix of acute, chronic, allergic, and inflammatory disorders. Prior literature has established that, in addition to severe clinical burden, NIIEDs is associated with significant economic burden for US payers; however, no literature provides a current estimate of the economic burden associated with patients with high-cost NIIEDs. This study aimed to better understand the cost and resource use distribution and predictors of patients with high-cost NIIEDs.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study selected adult patients with NIIEDs from a large US administrative claims database between 2006 and 2015. Among the included patients, total all-cause health care costs were calculated for a randomly selected 12-month period. Patients in the top 20% of total all-cause health care costs were identified as high-cost patients; the remaining patients were identified as lower-cost patients. Patient demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, cost, and health care resource utilization (HRU) were compared. Logistic regression models were used to determine characteristics associated with high-cost patients.

FINDINGS

Patients with NIIEDs (n = 14,879) were categorized into 2976 high-cost and 11,903 lower-cost patients. High-cost patients with NIIEDs were significantly more likely to experience blindness, cataract, cystoid macular degeneration, retinal detachment, and visual disturbances during the follow-up period than the lower-cost patients (all P < 0.05). The high-cost patients accounted for ~77% of the total all-cause health care spend. High-cost patients incurred an average annual total health care cost of $59,873, and the top 1 percentile incurred $349,967 during the follow-up period. Hospitalization was a key cost driver among the high-cost patients, accounting for 50% of the total cost among the top 1 percentile of patients. High-cost patients were more likely to have specific autoimmune diseases, inpatient admission, and use of biologic and immunosuppressant agents.

IMPLICATIONS

A small segment of patients with NIIEDs consumed most resources. This study identified several predictors based on patient characteristics and HRU that may help inform the profile of patients with NIIEDs with the highest health care needs. As such, patients with a given profile can be selected for targeted interventions by clinicians to potentially help improve quality of care and to reduce costs.