Organization, Clinical and Management Indicators on the First Year of Activity of an Outpatient Clinic Dedicated to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Asthma in Italy.

Purpose: A Regional Technical Commission was set in 2017 by Veneto region (Italy) to provide opinions and recommendations on drug prescriptions and to implement treatment-pathway guidelines for severe asthma. In this observational study, we describe the first structured, integrated, multidisciplinary, patient-centered outpatient clinic for the care of severe-asthma patients in Italy, and characterize patients referring to the center for specialist visits.

Patients And Methods: To characterize patients that accessed the outpatient clinic in 2018, data on demographic characteristics, treatments, severity of asthma, phenotypes, and relevant comorbidities by phenotype were collected.

Cinacalcet adherence in dialysis patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism in Lombardy Region: clinical implications and costs.

Background: Patients on dialysis often have secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT), a disorder associated with renal osteodystrophy, progressive vascular calcification, cardiovascular disease, and death. The objective of this retrospective observational study was to evaluate, in dialysis patients with SHPT, the impact of different levels of adherence to cinacalcet therapy on hospitalisations and direct healthcare costs charged to the Lombardy Regional Health Service (Italy).

Methods: Data recorded in the administrative databases on all citizens undergoing dialysis between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2011 were selected.

Real-world data on healthcare resource consumption and costs before and after kidney transplantation.

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is increasing worldwide as a consequence of population aging and increasing chronic illness. Treatment consists mostly of dialysis and kidney transplantation (KTx), and KTx offers advantages for life expectancy and long-term cost reductions compared with dialysis. This study uses the administrative database of the Lombardy Region to analyze the costs of a cohort of patients with ESRD receiving KTx, covering a time period of 24 months before transplant to 12 months after.

Economic impact of the use of rifaximin 550 mg twice daily for the treatment of overt hepatic encephalopathy in Italy.

Purpose: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is associated with a reduced survival, an increased risk of hospitalization for recurrences, and a reduced health-related quality of life. The purpose of the present economic analysis was to evaluate the impact on the Italian National Health Service (INHS) expenditure of the treatment with rifaximin 550 mg twice daily (Tixteller/Tixtar) for the reduction of the recurrences of overt HE, with respect to the current treatment approach.

Patients And Methods: Costs associated with patients treated with rifaximin 550 mg twice daily were estimated considering the reduction in hospitalizations for HE recurrences revealed by registrative clinical trial (-50%) applied to the hospitalization rate (42.

Impact of hospitalizations for bronchiolitis in preterm infants on long-term health care costs in Italy: a retrospective case-control study.

Purpose: Bronchiolitis is an acute inflammatory injury of the bronchioles, and is the most frequent cause of hospitalization for lower respiratory tract infections in preterm infants. This was a retrospective, observational, case-control study conducted in Italy, based on administrative database analysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in health care costs of preterm infants with and without early hospitalization for bronchiolitis.

Healthcare costs of the progression of chronic kidney disease and different dialysis techniques estimated through administrative database analysis.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression is associated with significant comorbidities and costs. In Italy, limited evidence of healthcare resource consumption and costs is available. We therefore aimed to investigate the direct healthcare costs in charge to the Lombardy Regional Health Service (RHS) for the treatment of CKD patients in the first year after starting hemodialysis and in the 2 years prior to dialysis.

Inhalation errors due to device switch in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma: critical health and economic issues.

Background: Different inhalation devices are characterized by different techniques of use. The untrained switching of device in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma patients may be associated with inadequate inhalation technique and, consequently, could lead to a reduction in adherence to treatment and limit control of the disease. The aim of this analysis was to estimate the potential economic impact related to errors in inhalation in patients switching device without adequate training.

Overt hepatic encephalopathy in Italy: clinical outcomes and healthcare costs.

Purpose: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a recurrent severe complication of progressive hepatic cirrhosis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the average annual direct healthcare costs for the treatment of patients with overt HE in Italy.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective, observational study analyzed information from the database of ARNO Observatory.

Health economic evaluation of paricalcitol(®) versus cinacalcet + calcitriol (oral) in Italy. [corrected].

Background And Objective: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a highly morbid disorder. The most severe form of CKD is end-stage renal disease (ESRD), in which the patient requires some form of renal replacement therapy to survive. The increasing incidence, prevalence, and costs of ESRD are major national healthcare concerns.

Evaluating targets and costs of treatment for secondary hyperparathyroidism in incident dialysis patients: the FARO-2 study.

Background: The aim of this analysis was to estimate biochemical parameters and the costs of treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in a subpopulation of the FARO-2 study.

Methods: The FARO-2 observational study aimed at evaluating the patterns of treatment for SHPT in naïve hemodialysis patients. Data related to pharmacological treatments and biochemical parameters (parathyroid hormone [PTH], calcium, phosphate) were recorded at entry to hemodialysis (baseline) and 6 months later (second survey).

Gender, socioeconomic position, revascularization procedures and mortality in patients presenting with STEMI and NSTEMI in the era of primary PCI. Differences or inequities?

Background: Several studies have reported gender and socioeconomic differences in the use of revascularization procedures in patients with acute myocardial infarction. However, it is not clear whether these differences influence patients' survival. Moreover, most of the studies neither considered STEMI and NSTEMI separately, nor included primary PCI, which nowadays is the treatment of choice in case of AMI.

Outcomes and costs of treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with inhaled fixed combinations: the Italian perspective of the PATHOS study.

Purpose: Fixed-dose combinations of inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β2-agonists have proven to prevent and reduce chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations. The aim of this analysis was to explore the clinical consequences and direct health care costs of applying the findings of the PATHOS (An Investigation of the Past 10 Years Health Care for Primary Care Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) study to the Italian context.

Patients And Methods: Effectiveness data from the PATHOS study, a population-based, retrospective, observational registry study conducted in Sweden, in terms of reduction in COPD and pneumonia-related hospitalizations, were considered, in order to estimate the differences in resource consumption between patients treated with budesonide/formoterol and fluticasone/salmeterol.

Resource consumption and healthcare costs of acute coronary syndrome: a retrospective observational administrative database analysis.

The objective of this study was to estimate resource consumption and direct healthcare costs of patients with a first hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in 2008 in the Piedmont Region, Italy. Subjects hospitalized with a first episode of ACS in 2008 were selected from the regional hospital discharge database. All hospitalizations, drug prescriptions, and outpatient episodes of care in the 12 months following discharge were considered to estimate resource consumption and direct healthcare costs from the Piedmont Regional Health Service perspective.

Outcomes, health costs and use of antiplatelet agents in 7,082 patients admitted for an acute coronary syndrome occurring in a large community setting.

Purpose: To assess the outcomes of patients admitted for ACS and the prescription pattern of antiplatelets of patients discharged alive.

Methods: From the ARNO Observatory database, we performed a record linkage analysis of hospital discharge and prescription databases, which included 2,758,872 subjects of 7 Italian Local Health Authorities. The accrual period lasted from January 1 to December 31, 2008.

Direct healthcare costs and resource consumption after acute coronary syndrome: a real-life analysis of an Italian subpopulation.

Background: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in Italy and worldwide. Aim of this study was to evaluate the average annual direct healthcare costs for the treatment of patients with a recent hospitalization for ACS.

Design And Methods: The direct medical costs of patients with a first ACS hospitalization (index event) in the period from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008 were estimated for a 1-year follow-up period.

Pharmacological control of secondary hyperparathyroidism in hemodialysis subjects: a cost consequences analysis of data from the FARO study.

Background And Objectives: Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is a frequent complication of CKD with incidence, prevalence, and costs increasing worldwide. The objective of this analysis was to estimate therapy cost of SHPT in a sub-population of the FARO study.

Materials And Methods: In the FARO study, an observational survey aimed to evaluate patterns of treatment in patients with SHPT who had undergone hemodialysis, pharmacological treatments and biochemical parameters evolution data were collected in four surveys.