Cardiovascular events among patients with prostate cancer treated with abiraterone and enzalutamide

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There is growing concern about the adverse metabolic and cardiovascular effects of abiraterone acetate (AA) and enzalutamide (ENZ), two standard hormonal therapies for prostate cancer. We analysed the risk of cardiovascular adverse events among patients treated with AA and ENZ.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We used Kythera Medicare data from January 2019 to June 2023 to identify patients with at least one pharmacy claim for AA or ENZ. The index date was the first prescription claim date. Patients were required to have 1 year of data pre- and post-index date. New users excluded those with prior AA or ENZ claims and pre-existing cardiovascular comorbidities. Demographic and clinical variables, including age, socioeconomic status (SES), comorbidity score, prostate-specific comorbidities, and healthcare costs, were analysed . Propensity score matching was employed for risk adjustment.

RESULTS

Of the 8,929 and 8,624 patients in the AA and ENZ cohorts, respectively, 7,647 were matched after adjusting for age, sociodemographic, and clinical factors. Between the matched cohorts (15.54% vs. 14.83%, p < 0.05), there were no statistically significant differences in any cardiovascular event after adjusting for these factors. The most common cardiovascular event in both cohorts was heart failure (5.20% vs. 4.49%), followed by atrial fibrillation (4.42% vs. 3.60%) and hypotension (2.93% vs. 2.48%).

INTERPRETATION

This study provides real-world evidence of the cardiovascular risk of AA and ENZ that may not appear in clinical trial settings. Adjusting for age, baseline comorbidities, and SES, the likelihood of a cardiovascular event did not differ between treatment groups.

Mental health disparities in young adults with arrest history: a survey-based, cross-sectional analysis

BACKGROUND

Over 4.53 million arrests were made in 2021 in the United States. People under 26 years of age were more likely to be arrested than older people. Although mental health disparities are prominent in the incarcerated population, the subject has not been closely examined among young adults specifically.

OBJECTIVES

This study examines how criminal justice involvement, specifically arrests, affects the mental health of adults between 18 and 25 years of age.

METHODS

We analyzed secondary data using the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The study used a subsample of 13,494 people aged 18 to 25 years, including 7,330 women and 6,164 men. History of arrest was the key independent variable. Depression, serious mental illness (SMI), substance use, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt were the outcome variables. We performed five multivariate logistic regression models for each outcome variable, controlling for race/ethnicity, income, and education level for men and women separately.

RESULTS

Of 13,494 respondents, 6.63% had a history of arrest. Among young women, a history of arrest was associated with significantly higher adjusted odds ratios for all mental health concerns. Most notably, a history of arrest increased the likelihood of substance use by a factor of 15.19, suicide attempts by 2.27, SMI by 1.79, suicidal ideation by 1.75, and depression by 1.52. Among young men, a history of arrest was associated with increased adjusted odds ratios (AORs) for substance use (AOR, 13.37; p < .001), suicidal ideation (AOR, 1.45; p = .011), and suicide attempt (AOR, 1.82; p = .044).

CONCLUSIONS

We found a strong relationship between young people having an arrest history and mental health concerns. More specifically, a history of arrest was associated with all mental health concerns among young women, while it was associated with only substance use and suicide among young men. Providing arrestees with appropriate mental health care would benefit them and the criminal justice system by decreasing the odds of recidivism.

Short-term and long-term behavioral effects of vaccination mandates

Current COVID-19 vaccination levels are insufficient to achieve herd immunity. To implement effective interventions toward ending the pandemic, it is essential to understand why people are motivated and willing to receive vaccination. The study aims to evaluate attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination mandates and the impact of policies on future vaccine uptake and behavior utilizing self-determination theory. We conducted an online survey (n = 569) in the U.S. and Turkey to investigate a relationship between respondents' psychological needs and their willingness and motivation to receive COVID vaccination. The study examined the possible impact of vaccine mandates on these needs. Autonomy satisfaction was the leading predictor of willingness to receive vaccination (p < .0001). Relatedness satisfaction was the leading predictor of one's intention to receive vaccination (OR = 3.382; p = .0001). The strongest positive correlation was found between needs frustration and external motivation. A moderate positive correlation was found between competence frustration and introjected motivation. No association was found between vaccine mandates and psychological needs. Need satisfaction, especially autonomy and relatedness, appear to positively influence willingness and intention to receive a vaccination. On the other hand, need frustration, especially autonomy and competence frustration, correlates with external motivation, thereby suggesting a detrimental long-term effect on vaccination behavior. Need satisfaction promotes positive vaccination behavior, while need frustration might adversely affect motivation and willingness to receive vaccination. Strategies promoting autonomous decision-making might be more effective than vaccination enforcement in sustaining positive vaccination behavior.

Use of Open Claims vs Closed Claims in Health Outcomes Research

Background: Closed claims are frequently used in outcomes research studies. Lately, the availability of open claims has increased the possibility of obtaining information faster and on a larger scale. However, because of the possibility of missing claims and duplications, these data sets have not been highly utilized in medical research. Objective: To compare frequently used healthcare utilization measures between closed claims and open claims to analyze if the possibility of missing claims in open claims data creates a downward bias in the estimates. Methods: We identified 18 different diseases using 2022 data from 2 closed claims data sets (MarketScan® and PharMetrics® Plus) and 1 open claims database (Kythera). After applying an algorithm that removes possible duplications from open claims data, we compared healthcare utilizations such as inpatient, emergency department, and outpatient use and length of stay among these 3 data sets. We applied standardized differences to compare the medians for each outcome. Results: The sample size of the open claims data sets was 10 to 65 times larger than closed claims data sets depending on disease type. For each disease, the estimates of healthcare utilization were similar between the open claims and closed claims data. The difference was statistically insignificant. Conclusions: Open claims data with a bigger sample size and more current available information provide essential advantages for healthcare outcomes research studies. Therefore, especially for new medications and rare diseases, open claims data can provide information much earlier than closed claims, which usually have a time lag of 6 to 8 months.

Relationship between Body Mass Index and Diagnosis of Overweight or Obesity in Veterans Administration Population

Background: This paper examined the gap between obesity and its diagnosis for cohorts of patients with overweight, obesity, and morbid obesity in the Veterans Administration (VA) population. Using the risk adjustment models, it also identified factors associated with the underdiagnosis of obesity. Methods: Analysis was performed on a VA data set. We identified diagnosed patients and undiagnosed patients (identified through BMI but not diagnosed using ICD-10 codes). The groups' demographics were compared using nonparametric chi-square tests. We used logistic regression analysis to predict the likelihood of the omission of diagnosis. Results: Of the 2,900,067 veterans with excess weight, 46% were overweight, 46% had obesity, and 8% of them had morbid obesity. The overweight patients were the most underdiagnosed (96%), followed by the obese (75%) and morbidly obese cohorts (69%). Older, male, and White patients were more likely to be undiagnosed as overweight and obese; younger males were more likely to be undiagnosed as morbidly obese. (p < 0.05) Comorbidities significantly contributed to diagnosis. Conclusions: The underdiagnosis of obesity continues to be a significant problem despite its prevalence. Diagnosing obesity accurately is necessary to provide effective management and treatment.

Population density index and its use for distribution of Covid-19: A case study using Turkish data

Since March 2020, many countries around the world have been experiencing a large outbreak of a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Because there is a higher rate of contact between humans in cities with higher population weighted densities, Covid-19 spreads faster in these areas. In this study, we examined the relationship between population weighted density and the spread of Covid-19. Using data from Turkey, we calculated the elasticity of Covid-19 spread with respect to population weighted density to be 0.67 after controlling for other factors. In addition to the density, the proportion of people over 65, the per capita GDP, and the number of total health care workers in each city positively contributed to the case numbers, while education level and temperature had a negative effect. We suggested a policy measure on how to transfer health care workers from different areas to the areas with a possibility of wide spread.

Corrigendum to "Effectiveness and Safety of Oral Anticoagulants in Adults with Non-valvular Atrial Fibrillation Patients and Concomitant Coronary/Peripheral Artery Disease" American Journal of Medicine 131:09 (2018): 1074-1085.e4

There were 33,269 apixaban-warfarin, 9,345 dabigatran-warfarin, and 42,156 rivaroxaban-warfarin matched pairs, with a median follow-up of 4-5 months. Compared with warfarin, apixaban was associated with lower rates of stroke/systemic embolism (hazard ratio [HR] 0.52; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.43-0.62), major bleeding (HR 0.60; 95% CI, 0.55-0.66) and stroke/myocardial infarction/all-cause mortality (HR 0.70; 95%CI, 0.66-0.74); dabigatran was associated with lower rates of major bleeding (HR: 0.73; 95% CI, 0.62-0.85); dabigatran and rivaroxaban were associated with lower rates of stroke/myocardial infarction/all-cause mortality (HR 0.77; 95% CI, 0.69-0.86 and HR 0.81; 95% CI, 0.77-0.85, respectively). Rivaroxaban was associated with a lower rate of stroke/systemic embolism (HR 0.61; 95% CI, 0.53-0.71) and a higher rate of major bleeding (HR 1.10; 95%CI, 1.03-1.18) versus warfarin.

A Real-World Observational Study of Hospitalization and Health Care Costs Among Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation Patients Prescribed Oral Anticoagulants in the U.S. Medicare Population

This article has been corrected. Please see J Manag Care Spec Pharm, 2020;26(5):682 BACKGROUND: Clinical trials have shown that direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs)-including dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban-are at least as effective and safe as warfarin for the risk of stroke/systemic embolism (SE) and major bleeding (MB) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, few studies have compared oral anticoagulants (OACs) among elderly patients.

OBJECTIVE

To compare hospitalization risks (all-cause, stroke/SE-related, and MB-related) and associated health care costs among elderly nonvalvular AF (NVAF) patients in the Medicare population who initiated warfarin, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, or apixaban.

METHODS

Patients (aged ≥ 65 years) initiating warfarin or DOACs (apixaban, rivaroxaban, and dabigatran) were selected from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services database from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2014. Patients initiating each OAC were matched 1:1 to apixaban patients using propensity score matching to balance demographic and clinical characteristics. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the risk of hospitalization of each OAC versus apixaban. Generalized linear models and two-part models with bootstrapping were used to compare all-cause health care costs and stroke/SE- and MB-related medical costs between matched cohorts.

RESULTS

Of the 264,479 eligible patients, 77,480 warfarin-apixaban, 41,580 dabigatran-apixaban, and 77,640 rivaroxaban-apixaban patients were matched. The OACs were associated with a significantly higher risk of all-cause hospitalization compared with apixaban (warfarin: HR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.23-1.31, P < 0.001; dabigatran: HR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.08-1.18, P < 0.001; and rivaroxaban: HR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.18-1.26, P < 0.001) and were associated with a significantly higher risk of hospitalization due to stroke/SE (warfarin: HR = 2.18, 95% CI = 1.80-2.64, P < 0.001; dabigatran: HR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.12-1.88, P = 0.006; and rivaroxaban: HR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.14-1.71, P = 0.001). Also, the OACs were associated with significantly higher risk of hospitalization due to MB-related conditions compared with apixaban (warfarin: HR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.59-1.95, P < 0.001; dabigatran: HR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.23-1.68, P < 0.001; and rivaroxaban: HR = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.71-2.09, P < 0.001). Compared with apixaban, warfarin ($3,577 vs. $3,183, P < 0.001); dabigatran ($3,217 vs. $3,060, P < 0.001); and rivaroxaban ($3,878 vs. $3,180, P < 0.001) had significantly higher all-cause total health care costs per patient per month. Patients initiating the OACs had significantly higher MB-related medical costs compared with apixaban: warfarin ($472 vs. $269; P < 0.001); dabigatran ($364 vs. $245, P < 0.001); and rivaroxaban ($493 vs. $270, P < 0.001). Warfarin was also associated with higher stroke/SE-related medical costs compared with apixaban ($124 vs. $62, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This real-world study showed that among elderly NVAF patients in the Medicare population, apixaban was associated with significantly lower risks of all-cause, stroke/SE-related, and MB-related hospitalizations compared with warfarin, dabigatran, and rivaroxaban. Accordingly, apixaban showed significantly lower all-cause health care costs and MB-related medical costs.

DISCLOSURES

This study was funded by Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer. Amin is an employee of the University of California, Irvine, and was a paid consultant to Bristol Myers Squibb in connection with this study and the development of this manuscript. He has served as a consultant and/or speaker for Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer, and Boehringer Ingelheim. Keshishian and Zhang are employees of STATinMED Research, a paid consultant to Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb in connection with this study and the development of this manuscript. Trocio, Dina, Mardekian, and Liu are employees of Pfizer, with ownership of stocks in Pfizer. Le, Rosenblatt, Nadkarni, and Vo are employees of Bristol Myers Squibb. Rosenblatt and Vo have ownership of stocks in Bristol Myers Squibb. Baser has no conflicts to disclose.

Economic Outcomes in Patients with Chemotherapy-Naïve Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Treated with Enzalutamide or Abiraterone Acetate Plus Prednisone

Introduction

Prostate cancer (PC) is the second leading cause of cancer death among US men and accounts for considerable healthcare expenditures. We evaluated economic outcomes in men with chemotherapy-naïve metastatic castration-resistant PC (mCRPC) treated with enzalutamide or abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (abiraterone).

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis on 3174 men (18 years or older) utilizing the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) database from 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2018. Men with mCRPC were included if they had at least one pharmacy claim for enzalutamide or abiraterone (first claim date = index date) following surgical or medical castration, had no chemotherapy treatment within 12 months prior to the index date, and had continuous VHA enrollment for at least 12 months pre- and post-index date. Men were followed until death, disenrollment, or end of study and were 1:1 propensity score matched (PSM). All-cause and PC-related resource use and costs per patient per month (PPPM) in the 12 months post index were compared between matched cohorts.

Results

We identified 1229 men with mCRPC prescribed enzalutamide and 1945 prescribed abiraterone with mean ages of 74 and 73 years, respectively. After PSM, each cohort had 1160 patients. The enzalutamide cohort had fewer all-cause (2.51 vs 2.86; p < 0.0001) and PC-related outpatient visits (0.86 vs 1.03; p < 0.0001), with corresponding lower all-cause ($2588 vs $3115; p < 0.0001) and PC-related ($1356 vs $1775; p < 0.0001) PPPM outpatient costs compared with the abiraterone cohort. All-cause total costs (medical and pharmacy) PPPM ($8085 vs $9092; p = 0.0002) and PC-related total costs PPPM ($6321 vs $7280; p < 0.0001) were significantly lower in the enzalutamide cohort compared with the abiraterone cohort.

Conclusions

Enzalutamide-treated men with chemotherapy-naïve mCRPC had significantly lower resource utilization and healthcare costs compared with abiraterone-treated men.

Electronic Supplementary Material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s12325-020-01260-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Prostate cancer (PC) is the second leading cause of death among men with cancer in the USA. Healthcare costs associated with PC, including hospitalizations, outpatient visits, and medications prescribed to treat adverse effects, depend on the severity of the disease and intensity of treatment, but are generally very high. Enzalutamide and abiraterone acetate with prednisone (abiraterone) are both approved treatments for men with PC that does not respond to treatments that reduce the male hormone testosterone, known as castration-resistant PC (CRPC). These drugs are associated with varying treatment duration and different adverse effects, and therefore could result in differences in the use of healthcare resources and overall cost of treatment. Here we evaluated the healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), which was calculated as the average number of healthcare encounters, including inpatient stays, outpatient visits, and pharmacy visits, and length of inpatient stays, and treatment costs associated with use of enzalutamide or abiraterone by men with metastatic CRPC (mCRPC), who had not received prior chemotherapy in the Veterans Health Administration. We found that men with chemotherapy-naïve mCRPC treated with enzalutamide used less healthcare resources and incurred lower total healthcare costs than men treated with abiraterone. On average, all-cause total healthcare costs were $1007 per patient per month lower and PC-related total healthcare costs were $959 per patient per month lower for patients treated with enzalutamide than those treated with abiraterone. These results support the hypothesis that the long-term HCRU and costs of enzalutamide may be lower compared with abiraterone.

Real-world adherence and persistence for newly-prescribed HIV treatment: single versus multiple tablet regimen comparison among US medicaid beneficiaries

Background

Once-daily, single-tablet regimens (STRs) have been associated with improved patient outcomes compared to multi-tablet regimens (MTRs). This study evaluated real world adherence and persistence of HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART), comparing STRs and MTRs.

Methods

Adult Medicaid beneficiaries (aged ≥ 18 years) initiating ART with ≥ 2 ART claims during the identification period (January 1, 2015–December 31, 2016) and continuous health plan enrollment for a 12-month baseline period were included. For STRs, the first ART claim date was defined as the index date; for MTRs, the prescription fill claim date for the last drug in the regimen was defined as the index date, and prescription fills were required to occur within a 5-day window. Adherence was assessed in 30-day intervals over a 6-month period, with adherence defined as having less than a 5-day gap between fills. Persistence was evaluated as median number of days on therapy and percent persistence at 12 months. Cox Proportional Hazard models were used to evaluate risk of discontinuation, controlling for baseline and clinical characteristics.

Results

A total of 1,744 (STR = 1290; MTR = 454) and 2409 (STR = 1782; MTR = 627) patients newly prescribed ART had available data concerning adherence and persistence, respectively. Average age ranged 40–42 years. The patient population was predominantly male. Adherence assessments showed 22.7% of STR initiators were adherent to their index regimens over a 6-month period compared to 11.7% of MTR initiators. Unadjusted persistence analysis showed 36.3% of STR initiators discontinued first-line therapy compared to 48.8% for MTR initiators over the 2-year study period. Controlling for baseline demographic and clinical characteristics, MTR initiators had a higher risk of treatment discontinuation (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.6, p < 0.0001). Among STRs, compared to the referent elvitegravir(EVG)/cobicistat(COBI)/emtricitabine(FTC)/tenofovir alafenamide(TAF), risk of discontinuation was higher for efavirenz(EFV)/FTC/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate(TDF) (HR = 3.6, p < 0.0001), EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF (HR = 2.8, p < 0.0001), and abacavir (ABC)/lamivudine (3TC)/dolutegravir (DTG) (HR = 1.8, p = 0.004). Among backbones, FTC/TAF was associated with lower risk of discontinuation than FTC/TDF (HR = 4.4, p < 0.0001) and ABC/3TC (HR = 2.2, p < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Among patients newly prescribed ART, STR initiators were significantly less likely to discontinue therapy and had greater adherence and persistence compared to MTR initiators. Regimens containing FTC/TAF as a backbone had higher persistence than those consisting of other backbones.

The value of sPESI for risk stratification in patients with pulmonary embolism

INTRODUCTION

Various risk stratification methods exist for patients with pulmonary embolism (PE). We used the simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (sPESI) as a risk-stratification method to understand the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) PE population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Adult patients with ≥ 1 inpatient PE diagnosis (index date = discharge date) from October 2011-June 2015 as well as continuous enrollment for ≥ 12 months pre- and 3 months post-index date were included. We defined a sPESI score of 0 as low-risk (LRPE) and all others as high-risk (HRPE). Hospital-acquired complications (HACs) during the index hospitalization, 90-day follow-up PE-related outcomes, and health care utilization and costs were compared between HRPE and LRPE patients.

RESULTS

Of 6746 PE patients, 95.4% were men, 67.7% were white, and 22.0% were African American; LRPE occurred in 28.4% and HRPE in 71.6%. Relative to HRPE patients, LRPE patients had lower Charlson Comorbidity Index scores (1.0 vs. 3.4, p < 0.0001) and other baseline comorbidities, fewer HACs (11.4% vs. 20.0%, p < 0.0001), less bacterial pneumonia (10.6% vs. 22.3%, p < 0.0001), and shorter average inpatient lengths of stay (8.8 vs. 11.2 days, p < 0.0001) during the index hospitalization. During follow-up, LRPE patients had fewer PE-related outcomes of recurrent venous thromboembolism (4.4% vs. 6.0%, p = 0.0077), major bleeding (1.2% vs. 1.9%, p = 0.0382), and death (3.7% vs. 16.2%, p < 0.0001). LRPE patients had fewer inpatient but higher outpatient visits per patient, and lower total health care costs ($12,021 vs. $16,911, p < 0.0001) than HRPE patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Using the sPESI score identifies a PE cohort with a lower clinical and economic burden.

Risk of Venous Thromboembolism after New Onset Heart Failure

New-onset heart failure (HF) is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. It is uncertain to what extent HF confers an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Adults ≥65 years old hospitalized with a new diagnosis of HF were identified from Medicare claims from 2007–2013. We identified the incidence, predictors and outcomes of VTE in HF. We compared VTE incidence during follow-up after HF hospitalization with a corresponding period 1-year prior to the HF diagnosis. Among 207,535 patients with a new HF diagnosis, the cumulative incidence of VTE was 1.4%, 2.5%, and 10.5% at 30 days, 1 year, and 5 years, respectively. The odds of VTE were greatest immediately after new-onset HF and steadily declined over time (OR 2.2 [95% CI 2.0–2.3], OR 1.5 [1.4–1.7], and OR 1.2 [1.2–1.3] at 0–30 days, 4–6 months, and 7–9 months, respectively). Over 26-month follow-up, patients with HF were at two-fold higher risk of VTE than patients without HF (adjusted HR 2.31 [2.18–2.45]). VTE during follow-up was associated with long-term mortality (adjusted HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.56–1.64). In conclusion, patients with HF are at increased risk of VTE early after a new HF diagnosis. VTE in patients with HF is associated with long-term mortality.

Effectiveness and Safety of Oral Anticoagulants Among Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation Patients

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Background and Purpose—

This ARISTOPHANES study (Anticoagulants for Reduction in Stroke: Observational Pooled Analysis on Health Outcomes and Experience of Patients) used multiple data sources to compare stroke/systemic embolism (SE) and major bleeding (MB) among a large number of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients on non–vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) or warfarin.

Methods—

A retrospective observational study of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients initiating apixaban, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, or warfarin from January 1, 2013, to September 30, 2015, was conducted pooling Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicare data and 4 US commercial claims databases. After 1:1 NOAC-warfarin and NOAC-NOAC propensity score matching in each database, the resulting patient records were pooled. Cox models were used to evaluate the risk of stroke/SE and MB across matched cohorts.

Results—

A total of 285 292 patients were included in the 6 matched cohorts: 57 929 apixaban-warfarin, 26 838 dabigatran-warfarin, 83 007 rivaroxaban-warfarin, 27 096 apixaban-dabigatran, 62 619 apixaban-rivaroxaban, and 27 538 dabigatran-rivaroxaban patient pairs. Apixaban (hazard ratio [HR], 0.61; 95% CI, 0.54–0.69), dabigatran (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.68–0.94), and rivaroxaban (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.69–0.82) were associated with lower rates of stroke/SE compared with warfarin. Apixaban (HR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.54–0.62) and dabigatran (HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.66–0.81) had lower rates of MB, and rivaroxaban (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02–1.13) had a higher rate of MB compared with warfarin. Differences exist in rates of stroke/SE and MB across NOACs.

Conclusions—

In this largest observational study to date on NOACs and warfarin, the NOACs had lower rates of stroke/SE and variable comparative rates of MB versus warfarin. The findings from this study may help inform the discussion on benefit and risk in the shared decision-making process for stroke prevention between healthcare providers and nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/. Unique identifier: NCT03087487.

Health Outcomes Among Patients Diagnosed with Schizophrenia in the US Veterans Health Administration Population Who Transitioned from Once-Monthly to Once-Every-3-Month Paliperidone Palmitate: An Observational Retrospective Analysis

INTRODUCTION

There is limited literature on treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization (HRU), and costs among patients who transition from once-monthly paliperidone palmitate (PP1M) to once-every-3-month paliperidone palmitate (PP3M) in a real-world setting. Hence, this study compared treatment patterns, HRU, and costs 12-month pre- and post-PP3M transition among Veteran's Health Administration (VHA) patients with schizophrenia.

METHODS

Patients with schizophrenia (aged ≥ 18 years) who initiated PP1M and transitioned per on-label criteria to PP3M (no treatment gap of > 45 days in PP1M during the 4 months prior, same dose strength of the last two PP1M claims, and appropriate dose conversion from last PP1M to first PP3M claim) from January 2015 to March 2017 were included from the VHA database. The first transition date to PP3M was identified as the index date. Patients were required to have 12-month pre- and post-PP3M continuous health plan eligibility. Outcomes were compared using the Wilcoxon-signed rank and McNemar's test, appropriately.

RESULTS

The study included 122 patients [mean (SD) age: 54 (13.7) years]. Pre- and post-PP3M transition, 64.8% and 61.5% of patients were adherent (proportion of days covered ≥ 80%) to PP1M and PP3M, respectively. Comparison of HRU outcomes pre- and post-PP3M transition exhibited lower all-cause outpatient (37.5 vs. 31.1, p < 0.0001) and pharmacy visits (56.1 vs. 46.7, p < 0.0001). Similar trends were seen for mental health and schizophrenia-related outpatient and pharmacy HRU. Comparison of cost outcomes resulted in lower all-cause outpatient ($27,221 vs. $22,356, p = 0.0033), higher pharmacy ($16,349 vs. $17,003, p = 0.0076), lower total medical ($35,834 vs. $28,900, p = 0.0257), and no difference in total costs ($52,183 vs. $45,903, p = 0.3118). Similar trends were seen for mental health and schizophrenia-related costs.

CONCLUSIONS

Transition to PP3M was associated with a decline in outpatient and pharmacy visits. All-cause medical cost reduction fully offset increased pharmacy costs among VHA patients with schizophrenia who transitioned from PP1M to PP3M.

FUNDING

Janssen Scientific Affairs.

Impact of surgical approach on short-term oncological outcomes and recovery following low anterior resection for rectal cancer

AIM

The aim was to evaluate the influence of operative approach for low anterior resection (LAR) on oncological and postoperative outcomes. Minimally invasive surgical approaches are increasingly used for the treatment of rectal cancer with mixed outcomes.

METHOD

We compared patients undergoing LAR in the National Cancer Database between 2010 and 2015 by surgical approach. Multivariable regression was used to identify risk factors associated with conversion rate, prolonged length of stay (LOS) and 30-day unplanned readmission.

RESULTS

During the study period, 41 282 patients underwent LAR: 6035 robotic-assisted (RLAR) (14.6%), 13 826 laparoscopic (LLAR) (33.5%) and 21 421 open (OLAR) (51.9%). In propensity score matched analysis, RLAR compared to LLAR was associated with shorter LOS (6.3 vs 6.8 days, P < 0.0001), lower risk of prolonged LOS (22.1% vs 25.6%, P < 0.0001) and lower rate of conversion to open (7.5% vs 14.95%, P < 0.0001). Compared to OLAR, RLAR had shorter LOS (6.3 vs 7.8 days, P < 0.0001) and less prolonged LOS (14.1% vs. 20.9%, P < 0.0001). In multivariable analysis, for conversion to open, the laparoscopic approach was one of the risk factors; for prolonged LOS, conversion to open and non-robotic approaches (i.e. LLAR and OLAR) were risk factors; and for unplanned 30-day readmission, conversions and prolonged LOS were risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

For patients with rectal cancer, RLAR shows recovery benefits over both open and laparoscopic LAR with reduced conversion to open compared with LLAR and less prolonged LOS compared with LLAR and OLAR. RLAR is associated with short-term oncological outcomes comparable to OLAR, supporting its use in minimally invasive surgery for rectal cancer.

Treatment patterns, glycemic control and bodyweight with canagliflozin 300 mg versus GLP1RAs in Type II diabetes patients

Aim: Real-world effectiveness of canagliflozin 300 mg versus glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1RAs) was examined in patients with Type II diabetes. Patients & methods: Patients were selected from the Optum integrated database of administrative claims and electronic health record data (1 January 2013 to 31 March 2015). Results: Patients were less likely to discontinue (p < 0.0001) or switch (p = 0.0048), more likely to add-on treatment (p = 0.0314), and achieve HbA1c <8.0% (p = 0.0364) or weight loss ≥5% (p < 0.0001) with canagliflozin versus GLP1RAs over 9 months. Mean HbA1c was similar at 3-month intervals over 9 months with canagliflozin and GLP1RAs. Conclusion: Patients were less likely to discontinue or switch with canagliflozin than GLP1RA, and were more likely to add-on. Canagliflozin patients were more likely to achieve HbA1c <8.0% and weight loss ≥5% than GLP1RA patients.

Overall survival by race in chemotherapy-naïve metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients treated with abiraterone acetate or enzalutamide

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Background: Prostate cancer (PC) is the most common malignancy among US men and the 2nd leading cause of cancer-related death. African Americans (AAs) have higher mortality from mCRPC than Whites (W). Despite this disparity, a small prior study suggested AAs may have better PSA response to abiraterone acetate (ABAC) than Ws, though radiographic progression did not differ. We evaluated overall survival (OS) in AA vs W chemotherapy-naïve (CN) mCRPC patients (Ps) treated with ABAC or enzalutamide (ENZ). Methods: This was a retrospective study that used the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) database. Male PC Ps (≥18 years) who had surgical or medical castration were identified from Apr 1, 2013 to Mar 31, 2018. The index date was the first prescription claim date for ABAC or ENZ following castration. Ps had no chemotherapy for 12 months pre-index date and had continuous VA health plan enrollment for ≥12 months pre- and post-index date. Ps were followed until death or disenrollment. Unadjusted and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses adjusted for demographic and clinical characteristics were used to calculate survival time, and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models assessed the relationship between race and OS. Results: This study included 2,123 W and 787 AA mCRPC Ps with mean ages of 74 and 71 years, respectively. The median follow‐up time was 570 days and 561 days for AA and W, respectively. AA were more prone to comorbid hypertension (77.1% vs 67.1%; p<.0001), type II diabetes (38.1% vs 29.3%; p<.0001), and liver damage or abnormality (8.8% vs 5.2%; p=0.0003) than W . From the unadjusted analysis, the median Kaplan-Meier estimated OS was 910 days for AAs and 784 days for Ws; AAs had better OS than Ws (HR=0.887; 95%CI [0.790-0.996]). From the adjusted analysis, the median Kaplan-Meier estimated OS was 918 days for AAs and 781 days for Ws; AAs still had better OS (HR=0.826; 95%CI [0.732-0.933]). Conclusions: This large retrospective study provides the first evidence that AA CN mCRPC Ps may have better OS with ABAC or ENZ than W Ps. Trials are needed to validate this finding and explore the mechanisms of racial disparities in outcomes with new hormonal therapies.

Impact of prostate specific antigen doubling time on time to metastasis and overall survival in non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients

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Background: Prostate-Specific Antigen Doubling Time (PSADT) can help predict prostate cancer (PC) patient outcomes, particularly in hormone sensitive disease. However, PSADT has not been well validated in non-metastatic castration-resistant (nmCR) PC patients. This study examined the prognostic impact of PSADT on time to metastasis (TTM) and overall survival (OS) among nmCRPC patients in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) database. Methods: VHA patients in this retrospective study were males with PC who had medical or surgical castration between Jan 1, 2012 and Dec 31, 2016. Patients actively receiving luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone treatment with ≥2 PSA post-castration increases were identified. The 3rd PSA value ≥25% and 2 ng/ml > the 1st PSA value was the CRPC (index) date; patients had continuous VHA enrollment for ≥12-months pre- to post-index date. Patients were followed until the earliest of death or disenrollment. PSADT was calculated as the natural log of 2 divided (Ln2) by the log slope of PSA using all PSA values after CRPC until metastases, and patients were categorized into 2-month cohorts. A demographically and clinically adjusted Cox regression model explored associations between PSADT cohorts and TTM and OS. Results: We identified 3,579 patients from which 1,389 (38.8%) progressed to mCRPC while 2,190 (61.2%) remained nmCRPC. Overall, patients averaged 73 years of age. PSADT was calculable in 2,800 patients with an average PSA value of 25.49 ng/mL. After a median follow-up of 820 days, the median PSADT was 17 months. Compared with the PSADT > 12 months cohort, PSADT ≤2, > 2 to ≤4, > 4 to ≤6, > 6 to ≤8, and > 8 to ≤10 month cohorts were associated with higher risk of metastasis (hazard ratio [HR]: 33.77, CI: 25.93-43.96; HR: 14.32, CI: 11.83-17.32; HR: 6.58, CI: 5.42-7.98, HR: 4.14, CI: 3.27-5.25; HR: 3.14, CI: 2.45-4.03, respectively) and death (HR: 12.27, CI: 9.20-16.35; HR: 5.32, CI: 4.26-6.64; HR: 3.50, CI: 2.74-4.47, HR: 2.29, CI: 1.68-3.14; HR: 1.64, CI: 1.14-2.37, respectively). Conclusions: Short PSADT strongly associated with TTM and poor OS in nmCRPC patients. Newer nmCRPC treatments are advisable for high-risk patients.

Cardiovascular outcomes among elderly patients with heart failure and coronary artery disease and without atrial fibrillation: a retrospective cohort study

Background

Coronary artery disease accelerates heart failure progression, leading to poor prognosis and a substantial increase in morbidity and mortality. This study was aimed to assess the impact of coronary artery disease on all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), and ischemic stroke (IS) among hospitalized newly-diagnosed heart failure (HF) patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD).

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included Medicare patients (aged ≥65 years) with ≥1 inpatient heart failure claim (index date = discharge date) during 01JAN2007-31DEC2013. Patients were required to have continuous enrollment for ≥1-year pre-index date (baseline: 1-year pre-index period) without a prior heart failure claim (in the 1 year pre-index prior to the index hospital admission); follow-up ran from the index date to death, disenrollment from the health plan, or the end of the study period, whichever occurred first. HF with LVSD patients, identified with diagnosis codes of systolic dysfunction (excluding baseline atrial fibrillation), were stratified based on prevalent coronary artery disease at baseline into coronary artery disease and non-coronary artery disease cohorts. Main outcomes were occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events including all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, and ischemic stroke. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance patient characteristics. Kaplan-Meier curves of ACM and cumulative incidence distribution of MI/IS were presented.

Results

Of 22,230 HF with LVSD patients, 15,827 (71.2%) had coronary artery disease and were overall more likely to be younger (79.8 vs 80.9 years), male (49.6% vs. 35.6%), white (86.2% vs 81.4%), with more prevalent comorbidities including hypertension (80.7% vs 74.3%), hyperlipidemia (67.7% vs 46.7%), and diabetes (46.3% vs 35.8%) (all p < 0.0001). After propensity score matching, cohorts included 5792 patients each. The coronary artery disease cohort had significantly higher cumulative incidence of myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke at the end of 7-year follow-up vs non-coronary artery disease (myocardial infarction = 50.0% vs 18.0%; ischemic stroke = 23.3% vs 18.7%; all p < 0.0001). Follow-up all-cause mortality rates were similar between the two cohorts.

Conclusions

HF with LVSD patients with coronary artery disease had significantly higher incidence of ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction, but similar all-cause mortality compared to those without coronary artery disease.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12872-018-0991-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Clinical and Economic Outcomes in Low-risk Pulmonary Embolism Patients Treated with Rivaroxaban versus Standard of Care

BACKGROUND

Rivaroxaban, a fixed-dose oral direct factor Xa inhibitor, does not require continuous monitoring and thus reduces the hospital stay and economic burden in low-risk pulmonary embolism (LRPE) patients. Study Question: What is the effectiveness of rivaroxaban versus the standard of care (SOC; low-molecular-weight heparin, unfractionated heparin, warfarin) among LRPE patients in the Veterans Health Administration?

STUDY DESIGN

Adult patients with continuous health plan enrollment for ≥12 months pre- and 3 months post-inpatient PE diagnosis (index date=discharge date) between October 1, 2011-June 30, 2015 and an anticoagulant claim during the index hospitalization were included.

MEASURES AND OUTCOMES

Patients scoring 0 points on the simplified Pulmonary Embolism Stratification Index were considered low-risk and were stratified into SOC and rivaroxaban cohorts. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to compare hospital-acquired complications (HACs), PE-related outcomes (recurrent venous thromboembolism, major bleeding, and death), and healthcare utilization and costs between the rivaroxaban and SOC cohorts.

RESULTS

Among 6746 PE patients, 1918 were low-risk; of these, 73 were prescribed rivaroxaban, 1546 were prescribed SOC, and 299 were prescribed other anticoagulants during the index hospitalization. After 1:3 PSM, 64 rivaroxaban and 192 SOC patients were included. During the index hospitalization, rivaroxaban users (versus SOC) had similar inpatient length of stay (LOS; 7.0 vs 6.7 days, standardized difference [STD]=1.8) but fewer HACs (4.7% vs 10.4%; STD: 21.7). In the 90-day post-discharge period, PE-related outcome rates were similar between the cohorts (all p>0.05). However, rivaroxaban users had fewer outpatient (15.9 vs 20.4; p=0.0002) visits per patient as well as lower inpatient ($765 vs $2,655; p<0.0001), pharmacy ($711 vs $1,086; p=0.0033), and total costs ($6,270 vs $9,671; p=0.0027).

CONCLUSIONS

LRPE patients prescribed rivaroxaban had similar index LOS and PE-related outcomes, but fewer HACs, and lower total costs than those prescribed SOC.

Predictors of Hospital Length of Stay among Patients with Low-risk Pulmonary Embolism

BACKGROUND

Increased hospital length of stay is an important cost driver in hospitalized low-risk pulmonary embolism (LRPE) patients, who benefit from abbreviated hospital stays. We sought to measure length-of-stay-associated predictors among Veterans Health Administration LRPE patients.

METHODS

Adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with ≥1 inpatient pulmonary embolism (PE) diagnosis (index date = discharge date) between 10/2011-06/2015 and continuous enrollment for ≥12 months pre- and 3 months post-index were included. PE patients with simplified Pulmonary Embolism Stratification Index score 0 were considered low risk; all others were considered high risk. LRPE patients were further stratified into short (≤2 days) and long length of stay cohorts. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of length of stay among low-risk patients.

RESULTS

Among 6746 patients, 1918 were low-risk (28.4%), of which 688 (35.9%) had short and 1230 (64.1%) had long length of stay. LRPE patients with computed tomography angiography (Odds ratio [OR]: 4.8, 95% Confidence interval [CI]: 3.82-5.97), lung ventilation/perfusion scan (OR: 3.8, 95% CI: 1.86-7.76), or venous Doppler ultrasound (OR: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.08-1.86) at baseline had an increased probability of short length of stay. Those with troponin I (OR: 0.7, 95% CI: 0.54-0.86) or natriuretic peptide testing (OR: 0.7, 95% CI: 0.57-0.90), or more comorbidities at baseline, were less likely to have short length of stay.

CONCLUSION

Understanding the predictors of length of stay can help providers deliver efficient treatment and improve patient outcomes which potentially reduces the length of stay, thereby reducing the overall burden in LRPE patients.

The Burden of Hypoxic Respiratory Failure in Preterm and Term/Near-term Infants in the United States 2011-2015

OBJECTIVES

This study quantified the burden of hypoxic respiratory failure (HRF)/persistent pulmonary hypertension of newborn (PPHN) in preterm and term/near-term infants (T/NTs) by examining health care resource utilization (HRU) and charges in the United States.

METHODS

Preterms and T/NTs (≤34 and >34 weeks of gestation, respectively) having HRF/PPHN, with/without meconium aspiration in inpatient setting from January 1, 2011-October 31, 2015 were identified from the Vizient database (first hospitalization=index hospitalization). Comorbidities, treatments, HRU, and charges during index hospitalization were evaluated among preterms and T/NTs with HRF/PPHN. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate mortality-related factors.

RESULTS

This retrospective study included 504 preterms and 414 T/NTs with HRF/PPHN. Preterms were more likely to have respiratory distress syndrome, neonatal jaundice, and anemia of prematurity than T/NTs. Preterms had significantly longer inpatient stays (54.1 vs 29.0 days), time in a neonatal intensive care unit (34.1 vs 17.5 days), time on ventilation (4.7 vs 2.2 days), and higher total hospitalization charges ($613 350 vs $422 558) (all P<0.001). Similar rates were observed for use of antibiotics (96.2% vs 95.4%), sildenafil (9.5% vs 8.2%), or inhaled nitric oxide (93.8% vs 94.2%). Preterms had a significantly higher likelihood of mortality than T/NTs (odds ratio: 3.6, 95% confidence interval: 2.3-5.0).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of more severe comorbidities, higher HRU, hospitalization charges, and mortality in preterms than in T/NTs underscore the significant clinical and economic burden of HRF/PPHN among infants. The results show significant unmet medical need; further research is warranted to determine new treatments and real-world evidence for improved patient outcomes.

A Real-World Observational Study of Hospitalization and Health Care Costs Among Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation Patients Prescribed Oral Anticoagulants in the U.S. Medicare Population

BACKGROUND

Clinical trials have shown that direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs)-including dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban-are at least as effective and safe as warfarin for the risk of stroke/systemic embolism (SE) and major bleeding (MB) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, few studies have compared oral anticoagulants (OACs) among elderly patients.

OBJECTIVE

To compare hospitalization risks (all-cause, stroke/SE-related, and MB-related) and associated health care costs among elderly nonvalvular AF (NVAF) patients in the Medicare population who initiated warfarin, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, or apixaban.

METHODS

Patients (aged ≥ 65 years) initiating warfarin or DOACs (apixaban, rivaroxaban, and dabigatran) were selected from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services database from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2014. Patients initiating each OAC were matched 1:1 to apixaban patients using propensity score matching to balance demographic and clinical characteristics. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the risk of hospitalization of each OAC versus apixaban. Generalized linear models and two-part models with bootstrapping were used to compare all-cause health care costs and stroke/SE- and MB-related medical costs between matched cohorts.

RESULTS

Of the 186,132 eligible patients, 41,606 warfarin-apixaban, 30,836 dabigatran-apixaban, and 41,608 rivaroxaban-apixaban pairs were matched. The OACs were associated with a significantly higher risk of all-cause hospitalization compared with apixaban (warfarin: HR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.27-1.38, P < 0.001; dabigatran: HR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.11-1.23, P < 0.001; and rivaroxaban: HR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.22-1.32, P < 0.001) and were associated with a significantly higher risk of hospitalization due to stroke/SE (warfarin: HR = 2.51, 95% CI = 1.92-3.29, P < 0.001; dabigatran: HR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.60-3.13, P < 0.001; and rivaroxaban: HR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.31-2.30, P < 0.001). Also, the OACs were associated with significantly higher risk of hospitalization due to MB-related conditions compared with apixaban (warfarin: HR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.71-2.23, P < 0.001; dabigatran: HR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.25-1.76, P < 0.001; and rivaroxaban: HR = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.91-2.48, P < 0.001). Compared with apixaban, warfarin ($3,747 vs. $3,061, P < 0.001); dabigatran ($3,230 vs. $2,951, P < 0.001); and rivaroxaban ($3,950 vs. $3,060, P < 0.001) had significantly higher all-cause total health care costs per patient per month. Patients initiating the OACs also had significantly higher stroke/SE- and MB-related medical costs compared with apixaban: warfarin (stroke/SE = $135 vs. $60, P = 0.001; MB = $537 vs. $286, P < 0.001); dabigatran (stroke/SE = $94 vs. $62, P = 0.045; MB = $373 vs. $277, P = 0.010); and rivaroxaban (stroke/SE = $91 vs. $60, P = 0.008; MB = $524 vs. $287, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This real-world study showed that among elderly NVAF patients in the Medicare population, apixaban was associated with significantly lower risks of all-cause, stroke/SE-related, and MB-related hospitalizations compared with warfarin, dabigatran, and rivaroxaban. Accordingly, apixaban showed significantly lower all-cause health care costs and stroke/SE- and MB-related medical costs.

DISCLOSURES

This study was funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer. Amin is an employee of the University of California, Irvine, and was a paid consultant to Bristol-Myers Squibb in connection with this study and the development of this manuscript. Keshishian and Zhang are employees of STATinMED Research, a paid consultant to Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb in connection with this study and the development of this manuscript. Trocio, Dina, Mardekian, and Liu are employees of Pfizer, with ownership of stocks in Pfizer. Le, Rosenblatt, Nadkarni, and Vo are employees of Bristol-Myers Squibb. Rosenblatt and Vo have ownership of stocks in Bristol-Myers Squibb. Baser has no conflicts to disclose.

Alvimopan, Regardless of Ileus Risk, Significantly Impacts Ileus, Length of Stay, and Readmission After Intestinal Surgery

BACKGROUND

Previous analyses evaluating alvimopan included patients at varying risk for ileus after intestinal resection, which may have precluded its widespread adoption. We assess the early and delayed effects of alvimopan in patients stratified by risk for ileus after intestinal and colon resection.

METHODS

From the Premier Perspective database, patients with elective small and large bowel resections from 2012 to 2014 were identified. Multivariable analysis identified 14 perioperative risk factors for postoperative ileus. Within low- (0-4 factors), intermediate- (5 factors), and high-risk (6-12 factors) ileus categories, alvimopan and no-alvimopan patients were propensity-score matched for demographics, morbidities, diagnosis, surgery and approach, postoperative complications, surgeon specialty, and hospital features. In-hospital postoperative ileus, length of stay, discharge destination, and ileus-related readmission were compared.

RESULTS

Of 52,948 patients, 15,719 (29.7%) received alvimopan. Risk for ileus in low- (18,784), intermediate- (14,370), and high-risk (19,794) categories was 8.9, 13, and 22% (p ≤ .0001) respectively. After matching, alvimopan was associated with significantly reduced in-hospital postoperative ileus in all (low, 6%; intermediate, 9.4%; and high risk, 16.2%) categories. Hospital stay and 30-, 60-, and 90-day postdischarge ileus were also significantly lower with alvimopan. For low-risk patients, alvimopan increased discharge to home, while 90-day emergency readmission was reduced.

CONCLUSIONS

Alvimopan, regardless of ileus risk, improves ileus, hospital stay, and ileus-related readmission after intestinal resection and these effects are sustained over the long term. Since fewer than a third of patients currently receive alvimopan, its routine adoption with small and large intestinal resection will significantly impact patients and health systems.

The Effectiveness of a Private Orthopaedic Practice-Based Osteoporosis Management Service to Reduce the Risk of Subsequent Fractures

BACKGROUND

Osteoporosis is prevalent in the United States, with an increasing need for management. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of a private orthopaedic practice-based osteoporosis management service (OP MS) in reducing subsequent fracture risk and improving other aspects of osteoporosis management of patients who had sustained fractures.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study using the 100% Medicare data set for Michigan residents with any vertebral; hip, pelvic or femoral; or other nonvertebral fracture during the period of April 1, 2010 to September 30, 2014. Patients who received OP MS care with a follow-up visit within 90 days of the first fracture, and those who did not seek OP MS care but had a physician visit within 90 days of the first fracture, were considered as exposed and unexposed, respectively (first follow-up visit = index date). Eligible patients with continuous enrollment in Medicare Parts A and B for the 90-day pre-index period were followed until the earliest of death, health-plan disenrollment, or study end (December 31, 2014) to evaluate rates of subsequent fracture, osteoporosis medication prescriptions filled, and bone mineral density (BMD) assessments. Health-care costs were evaluated among patients with 12 months of post-index continuous enrollment. Propensity-score matching was used to balance differences in baseline characteristics. Each exposed patient was matched to an unexposed patient within ± 0.01 units of the propensity score. After propensity-score matching, Cox regression examined the hazard ratio (HR) of clinical and economic outcomes in the exposed and unexposed cohorts.

RESULTS

Two well-matched cohorts of 1,304 patients each were produced. The exposed cohort had a longer median time to subsequent fracture (998 compared with 743 days; log-rank p = 0.001), a lower risk of subsequent fracture (HR = 0.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.7 to 0.9), and a higher likelihood of having osteoporosis medication prescriptions filled (HR = 1.7; 95% CI = 1.4 to 2.0) and BMD assessments (HR = 4.3; 95% CI = 3.7 to 5.0). The total 12-month costs ($25,306 compared with $22,896 [USD]; p = 0.082) did not differ significantly between the cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

A private orthopaedic practice-based OP MS effectively reduced subsequent fracture risk, likely through coordinated and ongoing comprehensive patient care, without a significant overall higher cost.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Real-world economic outcomes of early progression in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients (Pts)

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Background: Despite improved survival with advanced multiple myeloma (MM) treatments (Tx), 15–20% of pts experience early relapse. We assessed the economic impact of early progression among non-stem-cell transplant NDMM pts. Methods: NDMM pts with ≥ 1 Tx (1st claim date: index date) from 01Jan2011–31Dec2015 were identified from the 100% Medicare database. Eligible pts had ≥ 1 full cycle of therapy and continuous health plan enrollment from 6 months pre-index or first MM diagnosis date until ≥ 12 month post-index date unless pts died < 12 months post-index date. First line of therapy (LOT1) included all Txs prescribed ≤ 60 days post-index date. Among pts who progressed to LOT2, median time to next Tx (TTNT) was estimated from a Kaplan–Meier curve as duration from LOT1 start until the earliest of an addition/switch/restart of non-maintenance MM Tx, or dose increase from maintenance to relapse therapy. Pts who progressed to LOT2 prior to and after median TTNT were included in the early and delayed progression cohorts, respectively. Annual all-cause and MM-related healthcare costs estimated from a generalized linear model were compared between doublet therapy pts in LOT1 in the early and delayed progression cohorts. Results: Of 3,768 MM pts with LOT1, 36.1% progressed to LOT2 with median TTNT of 302 days; 81.3% pts initiated doublet therapy in LOT1, of which 19.2% (n = 589) and 17.3% (n = 533) were included in the early and delayed progression cohorts, respectively. Pts in the early progression cohort were younger and incurred higher all-cause inpatient ($17,332 vs $10,455), outpatient hospital ($18,183 vs $15,097), emergency department ($462 vs $395), office ($37,728 vs $29,174), and total costs ($130,948 vs $108,003) compared with the delayed progression cohort. Similarly, the early progression cohort had higher MM-related total costs ($87,284 vs $72,150) including inpatient and outpatient costs (all P< 0.001). All-cause and MM-related pharmacy costs were similar between cohorts. Conclusions: Early progression after LOT1 is associated with substantially higher economic burden indicating the need for future studies of therapies that delay progression and potentially result in cost savings.

Effectiveness and Safety of Anticoagulants in Adults with Non-valvular Atrial Fibrillation and Concomitant Coronary/Peripheral Artery Disease

BACKGROUND

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) are at least non-inferior to warfarin in efficacy and safety among patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Limited evidence is available regarding outcomes for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients with coronary/peripheral artery disease.

METHODS

Non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients aged ≥65 years diagnosed with coronary/peripheral artery disease in the US Medicare population, newly initiating DOACs (apixaban, rivaroxaban, dabigatran) or warfarin were selected from January 1, 2013 to September 30, 2015. Propensity score matching was used to compare DOACs vs warfarin. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the risk of stroke/systemic embolism, major bleeding, and composite of stroke/myocardial infarction/all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

There were 15,527 apixaban-warfarin, 6,962 dabigatran-warfarin, and 25,903 rivaroxaban-warfarin-matched pairs, with a mean follow-up of 5-6 months. Compared with warfarin, apixaban was associated with lower rates of stroke/systemic embolism (hazard ratio [HR] 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.37-0.62), major bleeding (HR 0.66; 95% CI, 0.58-0.75), and stroke/myocardial infarction/all-cause mortality (HR 0.63; 95% CI, 0.58-0.69); dabigatran and rivaroxaban were associated with lower rates of stroke/myocardial infarction/all-cause mortality (HR 0.79; 95% CI, 0.70-0.90 and HR 0.87; 95% CI, 0.81-0.92, respectively). Rivaroxaban was associated with a lower rate of stroke/systemic embolism (HR 0.72; 95% CI, 0.60-0.89) and a higher rate of major bleeding (HR 1.14; 95% CI, 1.05-1.23) vs warfarin.

CONCLUSIONS

All DOACs were associated with lower stroke/myocardial infarction/all-cause mortality rates compared with warfarin; differences were observed in rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding. Findings from this observational analysis provide important insights about oral anticoagulation therapy among non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients with coronary/peripheral artery disease and may help physicians in the decision-making process when treating this high-risk group of patients.

Health care costs and comorbidities for patients with inclusion body myositis

OBJECTIVE

This study identifies the health care costs and utilization, as well as comorbidities, in a Medicare population of inclusion body myositis (IBM) patients.

METHODS

Medicare patients aged ≥65 years with a diagnosis claim for IBM were identified and matched to a cohort of non-IBM patients based on age, sex, race, calendar year and census region. Generalized linear models were used to estimate health care costs and utilization during the follow-up period.

RESULTS

The prevalence of IBM in this population, aged ≥65 years, was 83.7 cases per 1 million patients. Mean 1 year costs for the IBM cohort (N = 361) were $44,838 compared to $10,182 for the matched non-IBM cohort (N = 1805), an excess of $34,656. IBM was significantly associated with multiple unsuspected comorbidities, including hypertension (66% vs. 22%), hyperlipidemia (47% vs. 18%) and myocardial infarction (13% vs. 2%) (all p < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS

IBM patients utilize more health care resources and incur higher health care costs than patients without IBM. Furthermore, IBM patients were more likely to have multiple comorbidities, including cardiovascular risk factors and events, muscle and joint pain, and pulmonary complications compared to those without IBM.

LIMITATIONS

The presence of a diagnosis code for a condition on a medical claim does not necessarily indicate the presence of the disease condition because the diagnosis code could be incorrectly entered in the database. Clinical and disease-specific parameters were not available in the claims data. Additionally, due to the observational study design, the analysis may be affected by unobserved differences between patients.

Visceral fat area, not body mass index, predicts postoperative 30-day morbidity in patients undergoing colon resection for cancer

PURPOSE

Colectomy for cancer in obese patients is technically challenging and may be associated with worse outcomes. Whether visceral obesity, as measured on computed tomography, is a better predictor of complication than body mass index (BMI) or determines long-term oncologic outcomes has not been well characterized. This study examines the association between derived anthropometrics and postoperative complication and long-term oncologic outcomes.

METHODS

Retrospective review of patients undergoing elective colectomy for cancer at a single tertiary-care center from 2010 to 2016. Adipose tissue distribution measurements, including visceral fat area (VFA), were determined from preoperative imaging. The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative complication; secondary outcomes included overall and disease-free survival. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine association between obesity metrics and outcome.

RESULTS

Two hundred and sixty-four patients underwent 266 primary resections of colon cancer. Twenty-eight patients (10.5%) developed major morbidity (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ III). VFA but not BMI was significantly associated with morbidity in multivariate analysis (p = 0.004, odds ratio 1.99, 95% confidence interval 1.25-3.19). No other imaging-derived anthropometric was associated with increased morbidity. In receiver operating characteristic analysis, VFA was predictive of major morbidity (area under curve 0.660). A cutoff value of VFA ≥ 191 cm² was associated with 50% sensitivity and 76% specificity for predicting major morbidity. Patients with VFA ≥ 191cm² had 19.4% risk of morbidity, whereas those with < 191 cm² had 7.2% risk (relative risk ratio 2.69, unadjusted p = 0.004). Neither VFA nor BMI was associated with overall or disease-free survival.

CONCLUSION

VFA but not BMI predicts morbidity following elective surgery for colon cancer.

Economic Burden, Mortality, and Institutionalization in Patients Newly Diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease

BACKGROUND

Current information is scarce regarding comorbid conditions, treatment, survival, institutionalization, and health care utilization for Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients.

OBJECTIVES

Compare all-cause mortality, rate of institutionalization, and economic burden between treated and untreated newly-diagnosed AD patients.

METHODS

Patients aged 65-100 years with ≥1 primary or ≥2 secondary AD diagnoses (ICD-9-CM:331.0] with continuous medical and pharmacy benefits for ≥12 months pre-index and ≥6 months post-index date (first AD diagnosis date) were identified from Medicare fee-for-service claims 01JAN2011-30JUN2014. Patients with AD treatment claims or AD/AD-related dementia diagnosis during the pre-index period were excluded. Patients were assigned to treated and untreated cohorts based on AD treatment received post-index date. Total 8,995 newly-diagnosed AD patients were identified; 4,037 (44.8%) were assigned to the treated cohort. Time-to-death and institutionalization were assessed using Cox regression. To compare health care costs and utilizations, 1 : 1 propensity score matching (PSM) was used.

RESULTS

Untreated patients were older (83.85 versus 81.44 years; p < 0.0001), with more severe comorbidities (mean Charlson comorbidity index: 3.54 versus 3.22; p < 0.0001). After covariate adjustment, treated patients were less likely to die (hazard ratio[HR] = 0.69; p < 0.0001) and were associated with 20% lower risk of institutionalization (HR = 0.801; p = 0.0003). After PSM, treated AD patients were less likely to have hospice visits (3.25% versus 9.45%; p < 0.0001), and incurred lower annual all-cause costs ($25,828 versus $30,110; p = 0.0162).

CONCLUSION

After controlling for comorbidities, treated AD patients have better survival, lower institutionalization, and sometimes fewer resource utilizations, suggesting that treatment and improved care management could be beneficial for newly-diagnosed AD patients from economic and clinical perspectives.

Evaluating the Effect of Treatment Persistence on the Economic Burden of Moderate to Severe Psoriasis and/or Psoriatic Arthritis Patients in the U.S. Department of Defense Population

BACKGROUND

Psoriasis is a chronic, hyper-proliferative dermatological condition associated with joint symptoms known as psoriatic arthritis (PsA). In a 2013 review, the total economic burden of PsA was estimated at $51.7-$63.2 billion. The economic burden of moderate to severe psoriasis patients has reduced significantly with the advent of biologics, but there remains a dearth of real-world evidence of the impact of treatment persistence on the economic burden of moderate to severe psoriasis and/or PsA patients.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the overall and psoriasis and/or PsA-related health care utilization and costs among patients who were persistent versus those nonpersistent on index biologic among the moderate to severe psoriasis and/or PsA population.

METHODS

Adult patients with ≥ 2 claims with diagnosis of psoriasis and/or PsA during the period of November 2010-October 2015 were identified from the U.S. Department of Defense database; the first diagnosis date during November 2011-October 2014 was defined as the index date. As of the index date, patients were considered to have moderate to severe psoriasis or PsA if they had ≥ 1 nontopical systemic therapy or phototherapy during the 1-year pre- or 1-month post-index date. Persistence to index therapy, defined as the first biologic used (etanercept, adalimumab, ustekinumab, infliximab) on or within 30 days post-index date, was determined based on the biologic dosing schedule and a 90-day gap. Generalized linear models were used to compare the health care utilization and costs between persistent and nonpersistent patients during the 1-year post-index period.

RESULTS

A total of 2,945 moderate to severe psoriasis and/or PsA patients were identified. Of those, 1,899 (64.5%) were persistent and 1,046 (35.5%) were nonpersistent. Compared with nonpersistent patients, persistent patients were older (49.2 vs. 45.5 years; P < 0.001) and more likely to be male (52% vs. 45%; P < 0.001). More persistent patients were diagnosed with dyslipidemia (40% vs. 35%; P = 0.002), had lower antidepressant use (23.4% vs. 27.4%; P < 0.001), and had lower anxiolytic use (30% vs. 37%; P < 0.001) compared with nonpersistent patients. After adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics, nonpersistent patients had higher total medical costs ($12,457 vs. $8,964; P < 0.001) compared with persistent patients, and ambulatory visits (23.9 vs. 21.4; P = 0.007) were a major contributor. Approximately 40% of the total overall medical costs were attributed to psoriasis and PsA. Although persistent patients incurred higher pharmacy costs ($10,684 vs. $7,849; P < 0.001) due to higher biologic use and the potentially high per-unit cost of biologics, their psoriasis- and/or PsA-related medical costs were significantly lower than those of nonpersistent patients ($3,395 vs. $5,041; P < 0.001). Total overall costs combining medical and pharmacy costs were similar between the cohorts ($22,678 vs. $21,477; P = 0.122).

CONCLUSIONS

Moderate to severe psoriasis and/or PsA patients who were persistent on index biologic treatment had higher pharmacy utilization and costs, albeit with lower medical costs and similar total costs, compared with nonpersistent patients.

DISCLOSURES

This study was funded by Janssen Scientific Affairs. Lee is a paid employee of Janssen Scientific Affairs. Xie, Wang, Vaidya, and Baser are paid employees of STATinMED Research, which is a paid consultant to Janssen Scientific Affairs. This study was presented as an abstract at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2017 Annual Meeting, March 27-30, 2017, in Denver, CO.

Comorbidity and economic burden among moderate-to-severe psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis patients in the US Department of Defense population

AIMS

To examine the comorbidity and economic burden among moderate-to-severe psoriasis (PsO) and/or psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients in the US Department of Defense (DoD) population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective cohort claims analysis was conducted using DoD data from November 2010 to October 2015. Adult patients with ≥2 diagnoses of PsO and/or PsA (cases) were identified, and the first diagnosis date from November 2011 to October 2014 was defined as the index date. Patients were considered moderate-to-severe if they had ≥1 non-topical systemic therapy or phototherapy during the 12 months pre- or 1 month post-index date. Patients without a PsO/PsA diagnosis during the study period (controls) were matched to cases on a 10:1 ratio based on age, sex, region, and index year; the index date was randomly selected. One-to-one propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted to compare study outcomes in the first year post-index date, including healthcare resource utilization (HRU), costs, and comorbidity incidence.

RESULTS

A total of 7,249 cases and 72,490 controls were identified. The mean age was 48.1 years. After PSM, comorbidity incidence was higher among cases, namely dyslipidemia (18.3% vs 13.5%, p < .001), hypertension (13.8% vs 8.7%, p < .001), and obesity (8.8% vs 6.1%, p < .001). Case patients had significantly higher HRU and costs, including inpatient ($2,196 vs $1,642; p < .0016), ambulatory ($8,804 vs 4,642; p < .001), emergency room ($432 vs $350; p < .001), pharmacy ($6,878 vs $1,160; p < .001), and total healthcare costs ($18,311 vs $7,795; p < .001).

LIMITATIONS

Claims data are collected for payment purposes; therefore, such data may have limitations for clinical research.

CONCLUSIONS

During follow-up, DoD patients with moderate-to-severe PsO and/or PsA experienced significantly higher HRU, cost, and comorbidity burden.

Propensity Score-Matched Analysis of Clinical and Financial Outcomes After Robotic and Laparoscopic Colorectal Resection

PURPOSE

The study aims to evaluate the clinical and financial outcomes of the use of robotic when compared to laparoscopic colorectal surgery and any changes in these over time.

METHODS

From the Premier Perspective database, patients who underwent elective laparoscopic and robotic colorectal resections from 2012 to 2014 were included. Laparoscopic colorectal resections were propensity score matched to robotic cases for patient, disease, procedure, surgeon specialty, and hospital type and volume. The two groups were compared for conversion, hospital stay, 30-day post-discharge readmission, mortality, and complications. Direct, cumulative, and total (including 30-day post-discharge) costs were evaluated. Clinical and financial outcomes were also separately assessed for each of the included years.

RESULTS

Of 36,701 patients, 32,783 (89.3%) had laparoscopic colorectal resection and 3918 (10.7%) had robotic colorectal resection; 4438 procedures (2219 in each group) were propensity score matched. For the entire period, conversion to open approach (4.7 vs. 3.7%, p = 0.1) and hospital stay (mean days [SD] 6 [5.3] vs. 5 [4.6], p = 0.2) were comparable between robotic and laparoscopic procedures. Surgical and medical complications were also the same for the two groups. However, the robotic approach was associated with lower readmission (6.3 vs. 4.8%, p = 0.04). Wound or abdominal infection (4.7 vs. 2.3%, p = 0.01) and respiratory complications (7.4 vs. 4.7%, p = 0.02) were significantly lower for the robotic group in the final year of inclusion, 2014. Direct, cumulative, and total (including 30-day post-discharge) costs were significantly higher for robotic surgery. The difference in costs between the two approaches reduced over time (direct cost difference: 2012, $2698 vs. 2013, $2235 vs. 2014, $1402).

CONCLUSION

Robotic colorectal surgery can be performed with comparable clinical outcomes to laparoscopy. With greater use of the technology, some further recovery benefits may be evident. The robotic approach is more expensive but cost differences have been diminishing over time.

Cytoreductive treatment patterns among US veterans with polycythemia vera

Background

Polycythemia vera (PV) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm associated with increased thrombotic and cardiovascular risk, which are key contributors to patient morbidity and mortality. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrative health network in the United States. Available data concerning patients with PV in this population are limited.

Methods

This retrospective observational study evaluated the characteristics, management, and outcomes of patients with PV in the VHA Medical SAS® Dataset (October 1, 2005, to September 30, 2012). Inclusion criteria were ≥ 2 claims for PV (ie, PV diagnostic code was recorded) ≥30 days apart during the identification period, age ≥ 18 years, and continuous health plan enrollment from ≥12 months before the index date until the end of follow-up. All data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results

The analysis included 7718 patients (median age, 64 years; male, 98%; white, 64%). The most common comorbidities before the index date were hypertension (72%), dyslipidemia (54%), and diabetes (24%); 33% had a history of smoking. During the follow-up period (median, 4.8 years), most patients did not receive treatment with cytoreductive therapy, including phlebotomy (53%), or antiplatelet agents, such as aspirin (57%). The thrombotic and cardiovascular event rates per 1000 patient-years were 60.5 and 83.8, respectively. Among patients who received cytoreductive treatment, the thrombotic event rate was 48.9 per 1000 patient-years. The overall mortality rate was 51.2 per 1000 patient-years.

Conclusion

The notable rates of thrombotic and cardiovascular events observed in this analysis, even among patients receiving cytoreductive treatment, highlight the important unmet clinical needs of patients with PV in the VHA.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-4422-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Analysis of Episodes of Care in Medicare Beneficiaries Newly Diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease

OBJECTIVES

To study transitions between healthcare settings and quantify the cost burdens associated with different combinations of transitions during a 6-month period before initial Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis so as to investigate how using an episode-of-care approach to payment for specific disease states might apply in AD.

DESIGN

A retrospective observational cohort study.

SETTING

United States.

PARTICIPANTS

A random sample of 8,995 individuals aged 65 to 100 with a diagnosis of AD (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code 331.0) were identified from the Medicare database between January 1, 2011, and June 30, 2014. This analysis identified individuals with AD diagnosed in inpatient (18%), skilled nursing facility (SNF) (1%), hospice (4%), and home and outpatient (77%) settings and analyzed episodes that began in the index setting (defined as the care setting in which the individual was first diagnosed with AD).

MEASUREMENTS

Study outcomes included number of transitions between settings, primary discharge diagnoses, and total all-cause healthcare costs during the 6 months after the AD diagnosis.

RESULTS

The average numbers of transitions between care settings were 2.8 originating from an inpatient setting, 2.4 from a SNF, 0.3 from a hospice setting and 0.7 from a home or outpatient setting during 6 months post-AD diagnosis. The overall cost burden during the 6 months after AD diagnosis (including costs incurred at the index setting) was high for individuals diagnosed in a nonambulatory setting (mean $41,468). Individuals diagnosed in an ambulatory setting incurred only $12,597 in costs during the same period.

CONCLUSION

Episodes of care can be defined and studied in individuals with AD. An episode-of-care approach to payment could encourage providers to use the continuum of care needed for quality medical management in AD more efficiently.

East meets West: the influence of racial, ethnic and cultural risk factors on cardiac surgical risk model performance

Objective

To explore the impact of racial and ethnic diversity on the performance of cardiac surgical risk models, the Chinese SinoSCORE was compared with the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) risk model in a diverse American population.

Methods

The SinoSCORE risk model was applied to 13 969 consecutive coronary artery bypass surgery patients from twelve American institutions. SinoSCORE risk factors were entered into a logistic regression to create a 'derived' SinoSCORE whose performance was compared with that of the STS risk model.

Results

Observed mortality was 1.51% (66% of that predicted by STS model). The SinoSCORE 'low-risk' group had a mortality of 0.15%±0.04%, while the medium-risk and high-risk groups had mortalities of 0.35%±0.06% and 2.13%±0.14%, respectively. The derived SinoSCORE model had a relatively good discrimination (area under of the curve (AUC)=0.785) compared with that of the STS risk score (AUC=0.811; P=0.18 comparing the two). However, specific factors that were significant in the original SinoSCORE but that lacked significance in our derived model included body mass index, preoperative atrial fibrillation and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Conclusion

SinoSCORE demonstrated limited discrimination when applied to an American population. The derived SinoSCORE had a discrimination comparable with that of the STS, suggesting underlying similarities of physiological substrate undergoing surgery. However, differential influence of various risk factors suggests that there may be varying degrees of importance and interactions between risk factors. Clinicians should exercise caution when applying risk models across varying populations due to potential differences that racial, ethnic and geographic factors may play in cardiac disease and surgical outcomes.

The effect of hospital familiarity with complex procedures on overall healthcare burden

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate variations in prolonged outcome after proctectomy based on hospital volume.

STUDY DESIGN

From the Premier Perspective database (2012-2014), hospital volumes for proctectomy of benign and malignant conditions were classified as low, intermediate and high. Hospitals were grouped into tertiles. Impact of procedure volume on in-hospital as well as 90-day post-discharge complications, length of stay, discharge destination and costs was evaluated.

RESULTS

Of 9306 proctectomy procedures, 6960 occurred at high, 1695 at intermediate and 651 at low volume hospitals. After adjustment, high volume institutions were associated with lower in-hospital surgical complications while low volume centers had higher ninety-day post-discharge medical and surgical complications (p < .05 for all). High volume centers had a shorter hospital stay while the need for extended care facility was higher in low volume centers (p < .05 for all). Healthcare costs were higher for low volume hospitals.

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that variations in outcomes and costs after complex procedures such as proctectomy exist and are related to institutional familiarity with a procedure.

An observational study of the timing of surgery, use of laparoscopy and outcomes for acute cholecystitis in the USA and UK

BACKGROUND

Evidence supports early laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis. Differences in treatment patterns between the USA and UK, associated outcomes and resource utilization are not well understood.

METHODS

In this retrospective, observational study using national administrative data, emergency patients admitted with acute cholecystitis were identified in England (Hospital Episode Statistics 1998-2012) and USA (National Inpatient Sample 1998-2011). Proportions of patients who underwent emergency cholecystectomy, utilization of laparoscopy and associated outcomes including length of stay (LOS) and complications were compared. The effect of delayed treatment on subsequent readmissions was evaluated for England.

RESULTS

Patients with a diagnosis of acute cholecystitis totaled 1,191,331 in the USA vs. 288 907 in England. Emergency cholecystectomy was performed in 628,395 (52.7% USA) and 45,299 (15.7% England) over the time period. Laparoscopy was more common in the USA (82.8 vs. 37.9%; p < 0.001). Pre-treatment (1 vs. 2 days; p < 0.001) and total ( 4 vs. 7 days; p < 0.001) LOS was lower in the USA. Overall incidence of bile duct injury was higher in England than the USA (0.83 vs. 0.43%; p < 0.001), but was no different following laparoscopic surgery (0.1%). In England, 40.5% of patients without an immediate cholecystectomy were subsequently readmitted with cholecystitis. An additional 14.5% were admitted for other biliary complications, amounting to 2.7 readmissions per patient in the year following primary admission.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights management practices for acute cholecystitis in the USA and England. Despite best evidence, index admission laparoscopic cholecystectomy is performed less in England, which significantly impacts subsequent healthcare utilization.