Health services utilization and cost of retinitis pigmentosa

Abstract

Objective: To estimate annual per-patient health services utilization and costs of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in the United States.

Methods: A retrospective claims analysis of patients with RP (N = 2990) and a 1:1 exactly matched cohort of non-RP patients was conducted using the MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental Databases. Individuals were continuously enrolled in a commercial health plan or employer-sponsored health insurance for at least 1 year. The following annual outcomes were analyzed using nonlinear multivariate models: inpatient hospital admissions, inpatient hospital days, emergency department visits, outpatient physician visits, and prescription drug refills and inpatient and outpatient medical, pharmacy, and total health care costs.

Results: Patients with RP had 0.04 more hospital admissions (P < .001), 0.19 more inpatient hospital days (P < .02), 0.05 more emergency department visits (P < .01), 2.74 more outpatient visits (P < .001), and 2.18 additional prescription drug fills (P < .001) annually compared with their non-RP counterparts. Health care expenditures were significantly higher for patients with RP, who cost $894, $4855, and $452 more for inpatient, outpatient, and pharmacy services, respectively (P < .001). Overall health care costs were $7317 more per patient per year in the RP cohort, with expenditures varying considerably by age.

Conclusions: Patients with RP consume substantially greater amounts of health services with significantly higher health care costs.

Clinical relevance: Treatments that slow, halt, or possibly restore RP-related vision loss may prove cost-effective for payers and society.