Real-World Analysis of Treatment Patterns Among Hospitalized Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Introduction: Hospitalization is an important clinical factor associated with survival and rehospitalization in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Thus, this study examined treatment patterns before and after hospitalization in the US-specific population.

Methods: Adult PAH patients in the United States were identified using the Optum Clinformatics database from January 1, 2014, to June 30, 2019, and were required to have continuous health plan enrollment for at least 6 months prior to the first (index) hospitalization through at least 90 days post-discharge.

Burden of Pneumonia Among Hospitalized Patients with Influenza: Real-World Evidence from a US Managed Care Population.

Introduction: Pneumonia is among the most prevalent complications of influenza. The purpose of this study is to quantify the burden of pneumonia among hospitalized patients with influenza.

Methods: Real-world retrospective data from 01JAN2014-30JUN2019 (study period) were obtained from Optum's de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database (2007-2020) for patients who had ≥ 1 diagnosis for influenza during the identification period and ≥ 1 all-cause inpatient visit within 1 day of diagnosis.

Predictors and Outcomes of Hospitalization for Influenza: Real-World Evidence from the United States Medicare Population.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of initial hospitalization and describe the outcomes of high-risk patients hospitalized with influenza.

Methods: Data were taken from the 5% national US Medicare database from 2012 to 2015. Patients (aged at least 13 years) were required to have at least one diagnosis for influenza and have continuous health plan enrollment for 6 months before (baseline) and 3 months (follow-up) after the date of influenza diagnosis.

A Real-World Analysis of Patient Characteristics and Predictors of Hospitalization Among US Medicare Beneficiaries with Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection.

Introduction: Little has been published on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among Medicare patients at high risk (HR) of RSV complications due to age or comorbidity.

Methods: Adult patients (at least 18 years of age) with at least 1 diagnostic code for RSV were identified using the 5% US Medicare database from 2011 through 2015. Patients were required to have continuous health plan enrollment for 180 days pre- and 180 days post-RSV diagnosis (baseline and follow-up periods, respectively).

Evaluating the Effect of Standard of Care Treatment on Burden of Chronic Hepatitis B: A Retrospective Analysis of the United States Veterans Population.

Introduction: This study aimed to characterize chronic hepatitis B (CHB)-infected patients and estimate the association between nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) persistence and economic outcomes using data from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) database.

Methods: Patients (at least 18 years of age) with two or more claims for CHB and at least one pharmacy claim for NA were identified using VHA data from 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2018. The index date was the first NA prescription fill date during 1 October 2014 to 31 March 2017.

Real-world medication use and economic outcomes in incident systemic lupus erythematosus patients in the United States.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multifaceted autoimmune disease involving multiple organs systems and places a significant economic burden on SLE patients. There is a literature gap regarding the standard of care and economic burden in SLE patients, their families, and society. This study assessed medication use patterns among SLE patients and generated the annual and total economic burden associated with the illness.

Patients with Idiopathic Membranous Nephropathy: A Real-World Clinical and Economic Analysis of U.S. Claims Data.

Background: Membranous nephropathy (MN) is a common cause of nephrotic syndrome in nondiabetic adults. Approximately one third of patients with MN progress to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), while others may be successfully treated to remission. Patients with MN represent a high-risk population for whom management strategies can alter and improve outcomes.

Treatment Patterns, Healthcare Resource Utilization and Costs Among Schizophrenia Patients Treated with Long-Acting Injectable Versus Oral Antipsychotics.

Introduction: Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotic use may reduce healthcare resource utilization compared with oral antipsychotic use by improving adherence and reducing dosing frequency. Our goal was to examine treatment patterns, healthcare utilization, and costs among recently diagnosed schizophrenia patients receiving oral versus LAI antipsychotics.

Methods: The MarketScan Multi-state Medicaid database was used to identify schizophrenia patients aged ≥ 18 years who received an LAI or oral antipsychotic between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2014.

Observation versus treatment among men with favorable risk prostate cancer in a community-based integrated health care system: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: The objective of this study was to describe overall survival and the management of men with favorable risk prostate cancer (PCa) within a large community-based health care system in the United States.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using linked electronic health records from men aged ≥40 years with favorable risk PCa (T1 or 2, PSA ≤15, Gleason ≤7 [3 + 4]) diagnosed between January 2005 and October 2013. Cohorts were defined as receiving any treatment (IMT) or no treatment (OBS) within 6 months after index PCa diagnosis.

Analysis of Episodes of Care in Medicare Beneficiaries Newly Diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.

Objectives: To study transitions between healthcare settings and quantify the cost burdens associated with different combinations of transitions during a 6-month period before initial Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis so as to investigate how using an episode-of-care approach to payment for specific disease states might apply in AD.

Design: A retrospective observational cohort study.

Setting: United States.

Economic Burden, Mortality, and Institutionalization in Patients Newly Diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Current information is scarce regarding comorbid conditions, treatment, survival, institutionalization, and health care utilization for Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients.

Objectives: Compare all-cause mortality, rate of institutionalization, and economic burden between treated and untreated newly-diagnosed AD patients.

Methods: Patients aged 65-100 years with ≥1 primary or ≥2 secondary AD diagnoses (ICD-9-CM:331.

Healthcare costs among men with favorable risk prostate cancer managed with observation strategies versus immediate treatment in an integrated healthcare system.

Objective: This study explored short-term healthcare costs of men managed with observation strategies (OBS) vs immediate treatment (IMT) for favorable risk prostate cancer (PCa) from the Geisinger Health System, a single integrated health system in Pennsylvania, as evidence from the community setting is limited.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using electronic health records from men aged ≥40 years diagnosed with favorable risk PCa (T1 or 2, PSA ≤15 ng/mL, Gleason ≤7 [3 + 4]) between January 2005 and October 2013. Prostate-specific healthcare costs were compared between the OBS and IMT cohorts in men with ≥3 years of follow-up and available linked claims data.

A Real-world Analysis of Treatment Patterns for Cholinesterase Inhibitors and Memantine among Newly-diagnosed Alzheimer's Disease Patients.

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative form of dementia. Pharmacological therapies for symptomatic treatment, such as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) and memantine, have been available in the USA since 2000. Over the past decade, few studies have analyzed real-world anti-dementia treatment patterns in the USA.

Predicting Pre-emptive Discussions of Biologic Treatment: Results from an Openness and Preference Survey of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients and Their Prescribers.

Introduction: It is important to compare patient and provider discrepancies on stated openness to and preference for biologics as well as predictors associated with initial discussions on biologic use.

Methods: Patients (N = 263) and physicians (N = 100) completed a self-administered Web-based survey assessing demographics, health characteristics, and behaviors related to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatment. Bootstrap methods were used to check discrepancies between providers' and patients' stated openness to and preference for biologics.

Economic Impact and Complications of Treated and Untreated Hepatitis C Virus Patients in Turkey.

Background: According to the Turkish Ministry of Health's guidelines, standard double therapy, a combination of pegylated interferon-alpha and ribavirin, was the only treatment option for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection until the end of 2011.

Objective: The primary objective was to compare risk-adjusted clinical and economic outcomes between treated and untreated patients with HCV infection.

Methods: Patients with HCV infection were identified from the Turkish National Health Insurance Database (2009-2011) using International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification codes.

Development of a Risk Index for Serious Prescription Opioid-Induced Respiratory Depression or Overdose in Veterans' Health Administration Patients.

Objective: Develop a risk index to estimate the likelihood of life-threatening respiratory depression or overdose among medical users of prescription opioids.

Subjects, Design, And Methods: A case-control analysis of administrative health care data from the Veterans' Health Administration identified 1,877,841 patients with a pharmacy record for an opioid prescription between October 1, 2010 and September 30, 2012. Overdose or serious opioid-induced respiratory depression (OSORD) occurred in 817.

Risk factors for serious prescription opioid-related toxicity or overdose among Veterans Health Administration patients.

Objective: Prescription opioid use and deaths related to serious toxicity, including overdose, have increased dramatically in the United States since 1999. However, factors associated with serious opioid-related respiratory or central nervous system (CNS) depression or overdose in medical users are not well characterized. The objective of this study was to examine the factors associated with serious toxicity in medical users of prescription opioids.

Assessing the Economic Burden and Health Care Utilizations of U.S. Veteran Patients with Schizophrenia.

To examine the economic burden and health care utilizations of schizophrenia in the U.S. veteran population.