Comparison of all-cause, stroke, and bleed-specific healthcare resource utilization among patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and newly treated with dabigatran or warfarin

ABSTRACT

Background: We compared healthcare utilization outcomes and persistence among non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients newly treated with dabigatran or warfarin.

Methods: Using a nationwide, US administrative claims database, a retrospective matched-cohort of newly diagnosed NVAF patients (age≥18 years) treated with dabigatran or warfarin (propensity score matched 1:1) in 01/01/2011–12/31/2013 was evaluated. All-cause, stroke-, and bleed-specific per patient per month (PPPM) healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), incidence rate of hospitalization for stroke or bleed, 30-day readmission, and persistence were reported.

Results: In total, 18,890 dabigatran patients were matched to corresponding warfarin patients. Compared to warfarin users, dabigatran users PPPM had significantly fewer all-cause hospitalizations (0.04 vs 0.05), total outpatient visits (3.98 vs 5.87), and lower 30-day readmissions (14.5% vs 17.4%, all p < 0.001). Dabigatran users had lower incidence rate for stroke (0.65 vs 1.06) and bleed (1.69 vs 2.20), stroke (0.0006 vs 0.0011, p < 0.001) and bleed-specific hospitalizations (0.002 vs 0.003, p = 0.008), and stroke (0.03 vs 0.04, p < 0.001) and bleed-specific outpatient visits (0.07 vs 0.08, p = 0.018), and significantly lower non-persistence (62.1% vs 66.3%, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Among newly diagnosed newly treated NVAF patients, dabigatran users had significantly lower all-cause, stroke- and bleed-specific HCRU, lower risk of hospitalization for stroke or bleed events, lower 30-day readmissions, and higher persistence than warfarin users.

KEYWORDS:

• Atrial fibrillation
• stroke
• bleed
• oral anticoagulants
• NVAF

Declaration of interest

This work was supported by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. This study was conducted by Truven Health Analytics, an IBM Company, USA. A Gilligan, X Song, C Henriques, and DM Smith are employees of Truven Health Analytics which received compensation from Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc., for the overall conduct of the study and preparation of this manuscript. P Gandhi, C Wang, and S Sander are employees of Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. Prachi Arora was an intern at Boehringer Ingelheim when this study was conducted and during writing of the manuscript.

Editorial/medical writing assistance for the preparation of this manuscript was provided by Lorena Lopez-Gonzalez, PhD (an employee of Truven Health Analytics, an IBM Company) and funded by Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Supplemental data

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Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.