Healthcare resource utilization among patients diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in the United States

Abstract

Objectives:

Few studies have characterized healthcare resource utilization among patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The objective of this study is to assess healthcare resource utilization among patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis as compared to members without this condition.

Methods:

Patients newly diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis were identified from a national administrative claims database (2006–2011) as having ≥2 claims with idiopathic fibrosing alveolitis, or ≥1 claim with idiopathic fibrosing alveolitis and ≥1 claim with post-inflammatory pulmonary fibrosis (earliest claim with idiopathic fibrosing alveolitis denoted the index date), a procedure of lung biopsy or high-resolution computed tomography within ±90 days of the index date, 12-month pre-index continuous enrollment, plus ≥2 confirmatory idiopathic fibrosing alveolitis diagnoses after the procedure. For each idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patient, three members without the condition were matched by age/gender/region/payer type. Demographic/clinical characteristics were measured during the 1-year pre-index period. Healthcare resource utilization was assessed by quarter during 1-year pre- and post-index periods. Generalized estimating equation models controlling for patient characteristics were constructed to estimate adjusted post-index healthcare resource utilization.

Results:

In total, 1735 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and 5205 without (mean age = 71.5 years; 46.1% female) were included. Adjusted results revealed idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients were more likely to use healthcare resources than members without the condition 1-year post-index (number of hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and outpatients visits: 0.63 vs 0.31, 0.62 vs 0.48, and 5.7 vs 3.1 per person-year, respectively).

Conclusions:

Healthcare resource utilization is considerably higher among patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis than members without the condition. Effective treatments for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are needed to help reduce burden of healthcare resource use.

Key words: :

• Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
• Healthcare resource utilization
• Comorbidity
• Economic burden
• Retrospective observational study

Transparency

Declaration of funding

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BIPI) provided funding for this study. BIPI is the employer of one of the authors, YY. Beyond those, BIPI played no active role in the study or the study results. BIPI had no influence on the results of the study.

Declaration of financial/other relationships

NW, C-CC, RW, and NB are employed by Evidera, which provides consulting and other research services to pharmaceutical, device, government, and non-government organizations. In these salaried positions, they work with a variety of companies and organizations and are precluded from receiving payment or honoraria directly from these organizations for services rendered. YY is employed by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc which supported the funding of this analysis. DC served as a consultant for Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Giovanna Devercelli of BIPI, who contributed to the study design, reviewed and provided comments on the draft manuscript, and oversaw the project management. They would also like to thank Janet Dooley of Evidera for her assistance in the production of this manuscript.