Healthcare resource consumption and cost of care among patients with polycystic kidney disease in Italy

European ADPKD Forum multidisciplinary position statement on autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease care: European ADPKD Forum and Multispecialist Roundtable participants

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a chronic, progressive condition characterized by the development and growth of cysts in the kidneys and other organs and by additional systemic manifestations. Individuals with ADPKD should have access to lifelong, multidisciplinary, specialist and patient-centred care involving: (i) a holistic and comprehensive assessment of the manifestations, complications, prognosis and impact of the disease (in physical, psychological and social terms) on the patient and their family; (ii) access to treatment to relieve symptoms, manage complications, preserve kidney function, lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and maintain quality of life; and (iii) information and support to help patients and their families act as fully informed and active partners in care, i.e. to maintain self-management approaches, deal with the impact of the condition and participate in decision-making regarding healthcare policies, services and research. Building on discussions at an international roundtable of specialists and patient advocates involved in ADPKD care, this article sets out (i) the principles for a patient-centred, holistic approach to the organization and delivery of ADPKD care in practice, with a focus on multispecialist collaboration and shared-decision making, and (ii) the rationale and knowledge base for a route map for ADPKD care intended to help patients navigate the services available to them and to help stakeholders and decision-makers take practical steps to ensure that all patients with ADPKD can access the comprehensive multispecialist care to which they are entitled. Further multispecialty collaboration is encouraged to design and implement these services, and to work with patient organizations to promote awareness building, education and research.

The cost of preterm labor and preterm birth for mothers with uncomplicated pregnancies and their infants in Italy: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Preterm labor (PTL)/preterm birth (PTB) impose significant burden on health-care systems. Women with uncomplicated pregnancies at risk of PTL/PTB have not been widely investigated, and published evidence on the costs of these women and their infants in Italy is absent. We aimed to describe women with uncomplicated pregnancies and associated costs for these women and their infants.

METHODS

Data on women aged 12-44 years with uncomplicated pregnancies who delivered between 1 September 2009 and 31 December 2014 with PTL diagnosis alone or PTL and PTB were included from four Italian databases. Costs were examined during pregnancy, delivery, and 3 years after delivery for mothers and infants, overall and by gestational age (GA).

RESULTS

A total of 3058 mothers linked to 3333 infants were included. Costs during pregnancy were €1777. Costs during delivery for PTL/PTB mothers and their infants ranged from €3174 (GA ≥37) to €21007 (GA <28). Combined maternal and infant costs appeared higher for births with lower GAs (<37) in the three-year follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

In Italy, PTL/PTB mothers with uncomplicated pregnancies with infants at lower GAs appeared to incur higher medical costs compared to mothers with infants at higher GAs in all three time periods, with particularly marked differences found when considering mother and infant combined costs.