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Abstract #46883 Published in IGR 13-3

Predictive factors of glaucoma treatment cost in Germany

Lorenz K; Wolfram C; Claus V; Plesnila-Frank C; Verboven Y; Pfeiffer N
Value in Health 2010; 13: 398-399


OBJECTIVES: To describe total costs and factors predicting cost in Germany for glaucoma disease states: ocular hypertension (OHT), and early (EARLY), moderate (MOD) and advanced (ADV) glaucoma. METHODS: A 5-year retrospective analysis collected health care utilization, clinical parameters, treatment(s) used and reasons for treatment change. Disease states defined by the European Glaucoma Society were applied. Costs for health care resources were based upon the German EBM/OPS code for ambulatory visits/procedures, diagnosis-related groups for hospital procedures and the Rote Liste for medication. Factors predicting cost were identified using stepwise backward multiple linear regression, entry criterion a = 0.2. RESULTS: A total of 154 patients (27 OHT, 43 EARLY, 35 MOD, 49 ADV) were enrolled from 15 centers across 5 German regions. Average age was 67 (plus or minus) 11 and 57% were female. Number of years since diagnosis was 9.0 (plus or minus) 5.7, 8.7 (plus or minus) 4.6, 8.7 (plus or minus) 4.1 and 13.2 (plus or minus) 8.3 years for OHT, EARLY, MOD and ADV, respectively. Total costs, for patients with OHT, EARLY, MOD or ADV, were (euro)226 (plus or minus) 117, (euro)423 (plus or minus) 647, (euro)493 (plus or minus) 385, and (euro)808 (plus or minus) 877, respectively. Most costs were due to medication ((euro)121 (plus or minus) 99, (euro)217 (plus or minus) 150, (euro)245 (plus or minus) 161, (euro)340 (plus or minus) 193) and hospital interventions ((euro)32 (plus or minus) 101, (euro)115 (plus or minus) 538, (euro)154 (plus or minus) 285, (euro)367 (plus or minus) 811). Other costs included consultations ((euro)54, (euro)63, (euro)64, (euro)58) and examinations ((euro)19, (euro)26, (euro)26, (euro)26). Factors predicting high cost (R2 = 0.6426) were the number of hospital interventions, treatment switches, disease state changes, current disease state and issues with ocular burning, stinging or aching affecting daily activities. For glaucoma patients having 0, 1, 2 or (greater-than or equal to)3 treatment switches this gave total costs of (euro)273 (plus or minus) 108, (euro)320 (plus or minus) 231, (euro)511 (plus or minus) 462 and (euro)932 (plus or minus) 950, respectively. Medication costs were (euro)177, (euro)187, (euro)268 and (euro)368, and interventional procedure costs were (euro)0, (euro)50, (euro)166 and (euro)478, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Glaucoma treatments (medication and interventional procedures) are the key cost drivers in management of glaucoma in Germany. Avoiding treatment switches, disease progression and interventional procedures should have an impact on the cost of glaucoma care.

K. Lorenz. Universitatsmedizin Mainz, Mainz, Germany.


Classification:

14 Costing studies; pharmacoeconomics



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