Frequency of Health Care Resource Utilization and Direct Medical Costs Associated with Psoriatic Arthritis in a Rheumatic Care Center in Colombia

Cost and Cost Effectiveness of Treatments for Psoriatic Arthritis: An Updated Systematic Literature Review

BACKGROUND

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory disease characterised by a variety of clinical manifestations. Considering the economic burden posed by PsA and the increasing number of treatment options, economic evaluations are required to better allocate available resources. This work aims to update a previous published literature review on PsA cost-of-illness and cost-effectiveness analysis.

METHODS

A search was performed of English-language literature between January 2017 and March 20, 2024 in Medline/PubMed, Embase and Cochrane library using the terms 'psoriatic arthritis', 'cost of illness' and 'cost effectiveness'. Data on decision model, time horizon, population, treatment options, perspective, type of costs, relevant results and authors' conclusion were extracted from the reviewed articles. Finally, the quality of the included studies was evaluated.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria: 16 cost-of-illness and 11 cost-effectiveness/cost-utility analyses. PsA is characterised by high direct and indirect costs. Drug costs as well as hospitalisation and absenteeism were the major drivers of the observed costs. The cost-effectiveness analyses reported the dominance or the cost effectiveness of biologic therapies compared with non-biologic PsA treatment. Biological options like bimekizumab and ixekizumab have demonstrated a better cost-effectiveness profile in PsA patients compared with other treatments (i.e., other biological treatments).

CONCLUSIONS

There was an increased number of economic evaluations compared with the previous review. PsA is still associated with significant economic burden worldwide. The main cost was represented by therapies, specifically biological therapies. Amongst the biological therapies, bimekizumab and ixekizumab appear to provide the most economic benefit. Finally, new economic studies are needed to enrich knowledge on the economic burden of subgroups of PsA patients as well as early treatment of PsA with new therapies.

Burden of Disease in Psoriatic Arthritis in Latin America: a Systematic Literature Review

INTRODUCTION

Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic inflammatory pathology that generates a substantial and progressive deterioration of functionality and quality of life. It is associated with comorbidities (cardiovascular and metabolic) and involvement of mental health. In Latin America, information regarding the disease is limited. This study reviews the burden of disease (disease activity, functional involvement, clinical manifestations, comorbidities, patient-reported outcomes, quality of life, and use of health resources) in PsA patients in Latin America.

METHODS

Systematic literature review of publications in PUBMED, EMBASE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews-CDSR/Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, LILACS, Scielo, Redalyc, conference abstracts, and grey literature. Two independent assessors selected studies and extracted information. Quality was assessed according to the type of study.

RESULTS

We identified 692 references, selecting 50 studies: 41 cross-sectional, four economic-studies, four cohort studies and one systematic review. The information comes mainly from Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico. The estimated disease prevalence for Latin America ranges from 0.004 to 0.08% (95% CI 0.02-0.20). Measurements with validated instruments suggest suboptimal assessment of disease domains, significant functional compromise, loss of productivity, and high frequency of comorbidities, including mental health. Methodological and population considerations limit the generalizability of the findings.

CONCLUSIONS

The available information reports a considerable burden of disease in patients with PsA in Latin America, with involvement of quality of life associated with disability in relation to disease activity and its various manifestations. Future research and funding efforts should be aimed at generating more standardized information about the impact of PsA in the region. Key Points •The functional involvement related to disease activity, the impact on the quality of life, and the frequency of cardiometabolic and psychological comorbidities are remarkable in Latin American patients with PsA. •The current synthesis offers an overview of the burden of disease (disease activity, functional involvement, clinical manifestations, comorbidities, patient-reported outcomes, quality of life, and use of health resources) in PsA patients in Latin America. •Future research efforts and clinical strategies are required in order to generate standardized data on the patients and better estimate the burden of disease in the region.

Challenges in the Management of Psoriatic Arthritis in Latin America: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE

In 2020, the International League of Associations for Rheumatology published recommendations for managing psoriatic arthritis (PsA), aiming to adapt the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis and the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology recommendations to low-income countries. At that time, the paucity of clinical studies examining the management of patients with PsA in Latin America was remarked on by the international working group. Therefore, the primary objective of this systematic literature review was to investigate the main challenges in managing PsA in Latin America as described in recent publications.

METHODS

A systematic literature review of trials reporting at least one challenge/difficulty in the management of PsA in Latin America was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. References published in the PubMed, EMBASE, and LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature) databases between 1980 and February 2023 were included. The selection of references was conducted independently by 2 researchers in the Rayyan Qatar Computing Research Institute program. Two other reviewers independently extracted data. All challenges were noted and categorized into domains. Data analysis was descriptive.

FINDINGS

The search strategy yielded 2085 references, with 21 studies included in the final analysis. Most studies were conducted in Brazil (66.6%; n = 14) and were observational studies (100%; N = 21). Difficulties faced by PsA patients and physicians included the high incidence of opportunistic infections (described in 42.8% of the publications; n = 9), followed by nonadherence to therapy, discordance between patients and physicians regarding remission rates, low drug persistence, limited access to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, issues related to the storage of biologic drugs, elevated cost of biologic drugs, limited access to medical care, diagnostic delay, and the individual- and country-level impact of socioeconomic factors on work- and health-related outcomes.

IMPLICATIONS

Challenges in the management of PsA in Latin America extend beyond the care of opportunistic infections, encompassing several other socioeconomic factors. More research is needed to better understand the peculiarities of treating PsA in Latin America to improve patient care. PROSPERO identifier: CRD42021228297.