Health status, function, productivity, and costs among individuals with idiopathic painful peripheral neuropathy with small fiber involvement in the United States: results from a retrospective chart review and cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Objective: To characterize the burden of idiopathic painful peripheral neuropathy with small fiber involvement (idiopathic SFN) by pain severity in the US.

Methods: One hundred previously diagnosed idiopathic SFN subjects were enrolled during routine office visits. Subjects completed a one-time questionnaire, and investigators reported clinical characteristics and healthcare resource use, based on 6 month retrospective chart review. Annualized direct and indirect costs were estimated. Results were stratified across pain severity groups.

Results: Mean age was 63.5 years; 53.0% were female; 76.0% had moderate or severe pain. Most common comorbidities were sleep disturbance/insomnia (37.0%), anxiety (34.0%), and depressive symptoms (33.0%). Overall mean health status (0.59; -0.11-1.00 scale), physical and mental health (31.7 and 45.6, respectively, 0-100 scale), sleep index (45.1; 0-100 scale), and pain interference with function (5.0; 0-10 scale) differed by pain severity, with worse outcomes among those with greater pain (all p < 0.002). 84.0% were prescribed ≥1 SFN medication. 16.0% were employed; mean overall work impairment was 36.9%. Annualized average adjusted direct and indirect costs per subject ($8055 and $13,733, respectively) differed by pain severity.

Conclusions: Idiopathic SFN subjects with pain experience moderate or severe pain, which negatively impacts health status, function, and productivity, and leads to substantial direct and indirect costs.

Keywords: Burden; Costs; Function; Health status; Healthcare resource use; Idiopathic small fiber neuropathy; Neuropathic pain; Patient-reported outcomes; Productivity.