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. 2022 Aug 4;3(5):577-586.
doi: 10.1016/j.hroo.2022.07.010. eCollection 2022 Oct.

Healthcare utilization and costs associated with a diagnosis of incident atrial fibrillation

Abhishek Deshmukh  1 , Maximiliano Iglesias  2 , Rahul Khanna  3 , Tara Beaulieu  3
Affiliations

Healthcare utilization and costs associated with a diagnosis of incident atrial fibrillation

Abhishek Deshmukh et al. Heart Rhythm O2. .

Abstract

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common heart rhythm disorder among adults and leads to substantial morbidity and mortality.

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to provide current estimates on the incremental healthcare utilization and cost burden associated with incident AF diagnosis in the United States.

Methods: Adults with an incident diagnosis of AF (2017-2020) were identified using the Optum Clinformatics database. Propensity matching was employed to match patients with incident AF to a comparator group of non-AF patients on several demographic and clinical characteristics. Outcomes including 12-month all-cause and cardiovascular (CV)-related healthcare utilization, as well as the medical cost associated with health services use, were assessed. Logistic and general linear models were used to examine study outcomes. Sub-analyses were performed to determine the incremental AF burden by specific sex and racial/ethnic categories.

Results: A total of 79,621 patients were identified in each cohort (AF and non-AF). As compared to the non-AF cohort, patients with AF had significantly higher all-cause inpatient visits (relative risk [RR] 1.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.76-1.78), CV-related inpatient visits (RR 2.51; 95% CI 2:49-2:53), and CV-related emergency room visits (RR: 2.41; 95% CI 2:35-2:47). The mean total healthcare cost for patients with AF was $27,896 more (per patient per year) than the non-AF cohort ($63,031 vs $35,135, P < .001).

Conclusion: Medical services utilization and cost were significantly higher among AF patients than non-AF patients. Early treatment is likely to be critical to addressing the considerable disease burden imposed by AF.

Keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Health burden; Healthcare utilization; Medical costs; United States.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Forest plot of relative risk of healthcare utilization among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) vs non-AF controls, subset by sex, for A: all-cause visits and B: cardiovascular-related visits.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot of relative risk of healthcare utilization among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) vs non-AF controls, subset by race, for A: all-cause visits and B: cardiovascular-related visits.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Forest plot of relative risk of healthcare utilization among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) vs non-AF controls, subset by age, for A: all-cause visits and B: cardiovascular-related visits.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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