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Background: Depression and anxiety are associated with poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL), lower functioning and decreased treatment adherence. In 2019, 7% adults in the US had moderate/severe symptoms of depression, while Disclosures Roberts: Genentech, Novo Nordisk, Octapharma, Pfizer, Sanofi, Takeda, uniQure: Consultancy; Takeda; Speakers Bureau: Novo Nordisk, Octapharma, Sanofi, Takeda.: Research Funding. Kulkarni: Genentech: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; CSL Behring: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Shire/Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novo Nordisk: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bayer: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sanofi Genzyme: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Octapharma: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Sidonio: Bayer: Consultancy; Catalyst: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novo Nordisk: Consultancy; Guardian Therapeutics: Consultancy; Octapharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; Biomarin: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding. Carpenter: Genentech: Honoraria; Novo Nordisk: Honoraria; Kedrion Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria; Hemophilia and Thrombosis Research Society: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Konkle: Pfizer, Sangamo, Sanofi, Sigilon, Spark, Takeda and Uniqure: Research Funding; BioMarin, Pfizer and Sigilon: Consultancy. Wu: Baxalta US Inc., Bannockburn, IL (a Takeda Company), CSL Behring L.L.C., Octapharma USA, Inc., Genentech Inc.: Research Funding. Curtis: Pfizer, Bayer, and Novo Nordisk: Consultancy; University of Southern California: Consultancy. Nichol: Pfizer, Genentech Inc., Baxalta US Inc., Bannockburn, IL (a Takeda Company), Octapharma, CSL Behring, Global Blood Therapeutics, and Novo Nordisk: Research Funding.

Randall Curtis,1 Marilyn Manco-Johnson,2 Barbara A Konkle,3 Roshni Kulkarni,4 Joanne Wu,5 Judith R Baker,6 Megan Ullman,7 Duc Quang Tran Jr,8 Michael B Nichol5 1Factor VIII Computing, Berkeley, CA, USA; 2Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA; 3Washington Center for Bleeding Disorders, BloodWorks Northwest and the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; 4MSU Center of Bleeding and Clotting Disorders, Department Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; 5Sol Price School of Public Policy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; 6Public Health Department, The Center for Comprehensive Care & Diagnosis of Inherited Blood Disorders, Orange, CA, USA; 7Department of Pediatrics, Gulf States Hemophilia & Thrombophilia Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA; 8Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hemophilia of Georgia Center for Bleeding & Clotting Disorders of Emory, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USACorrespondence: Michael B Nichol, Sol Price School of Public Policy University of Southern California, 650 Childs Way, RGL 212, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA, Tel +1 213 740 2355, Fax +1 213 740 3460, Email mnichol@usc.eduPurpose: We compare the impact of hemophilia on comorbidities, joint problems, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and health-care utilization between two age groups: 40– 49 years and ≥ 50 years.Patients and Methods: The HUGS VII study recruited persons with hemophilia A or B age ≥ 40 years. Participants completed surveys to collect data on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, hemophilia treatment regimen, pain, joint problems, comorbidities, HRQoL, depression and anxiety, at baseline and 6-months later. Clinical chart reviews documented hemophilic severity and treatment.Results: The sample includes 69 males, 65.2% aged ≥ 50 years, 75.4% with hemophilia A. Individuals ≥ 50 years were more likely to have mild or moderate hemophilia (68.9% vs 41.7%, P = 0.03) than those 40– 49 years old. Among persons with mild/moderate hemophilia, those ≥ 50 years old reported a higher rate of joint pain (83.9% vs 70.0%, P = 0.34 at baseline, 91.3% vs 57.1%, P = 0.06 at follow up) or range of motion limitation (73.3% vs 60.0%, P = 0.43 at baseline, 73.9% vs 28.6%, P = 0.04 at follow up) than the younger group. Compared to the younger group, the older group reported fewer emergency room visits (4.5% vs 21.7%, P = 0.03), and physical therapy visits (15.9% vs 43.5%, P = 0.01) at baseline. The sample depression rate was 85.7%, but the differences among the age groups were not significant. The mean covariate-adjusted EQ-5D index score was lower in older persons (0.77 vs 0.89, P = 0.02).Conclusion: Older persons with hemophilia in this sample are over-represented by individuals with mild/moderate disease, potentially due to premature death among those with severe disease. Although this group included a larger proportion of individuals with mild disease than the younger group, they experienced lower quality of life, more comorbidities both of aging and of hemophilic arthropathy, and lower rates of health-care utilization.Keywords: hemophilia A, hemophilia B, burden of hemophilia, aging in hemophilia

Background: The Consensus Study report from National Academy of Science, Engineering, Medicine on September 2020 found a lack of data to characterize sickle cell disease (SCD) related disease burden, outcomes, and the unmet needs. This study’s objectives were to 1) assess the feasibility of collecting data to estimate illness burden in adults with SCD; 2) investigate factors associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL); and 3) estimate the societal burden. Method: We recruited 32 adults aged ≥18 years with a diagnosis of SCD who obtained care at two adult SCD specialty centers in the US. We collected data on fatigue, HRQoL measured by the EQ-5D-3L and the Adult Sickle Cell Quality of Life Measurement Information System (ASCQ-Me), and the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment via patient survey. Healthcare utilization was abstracted for the 12 months prior to enrollment using medical chart review. Factors associated with HRQoL scores were assessed by Pearson correlations. Results: Data collection was feasible, although prescription data could not be used to estimate medication costs. Mean age was 36.7±10.6 (standard deviation) years, 84.4% had hemoglobin (Hb)SS/Sbthal0 disease, and 81.3% reported chronic pain (experiencing pain on ≥3 days per week in the past 6 months). Mean EQ-5D VAS was 63.4. The mean EQ-5D index score was 0.79. ASCQ-Me scores are comparable to the referent population of adults with SCD. The mean fatigue score was 57.9 (range 33.7-75.9) and was negatively correlated with the EQ-5D index score (correlation coefficient r=-0.35, p=0.049), and ASCQ-Me scores, including pain (r=-0.47, p=0.006), sleep (r=-0.38, p=0.03), and emotion (r=-0.79, pConclusions: Fatigue, SCD complications, hospitalization and chronic pain negatively impact HRQoL in this small cohort of US adults with SCD. This sample experienced a high economic burden, largely from outpatient doctor visits.

Background Knowledge about sexual health, difficulty with sexual activity and intimacy (sexual difficulty), in people with hemophilia is little understood. Objectives The objectives were to determine the prevalence of sexual difficulty in people living with hemophilia (PWH) compared to people with no bleeding disorders (PWNoBD), and to determine factors associated with it. Methods This was an analysis of the PROBE study. We recruited individuals who had hemophilia A or B (PWH) and PWNoBD who were 18 years old or older. We calculated proportions of participants with sexual difficulty and odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for sex and age with 95% confidence intervals. Results There were 2007 PWH and 1972 PWNoBD. Mean (standard deviation) age was 41 (15) years in PWH and 42 (13) years in PWNoBD. Sexual difficulty was reported in 302 (15.1%) PWH and 79 (4.0%) PWNoBD. The odds of sexual difficulty were significantly higher in PWH (OR 3.82, 95% CI 2.85, 5.11). Among PWH, older age, experiencing acute or chronic pain in the past 12 months, bleeds within the past two weeks, ≥3 spontaneous joint bleeds (past six months), limitation of range of motion of any joints, and any life- or limb-threatening bleeds in the past 12 months were associated with sexual difficulty. Conclusions Sexual difficulty is more prevalent in people living with hemophilia and associated with markers of disease severity. Sexual health issues should be incorporated in comprehensive hemophilia care, future research, and hemophilia related health policy.

Introduction There are limited data on the impact of haemophilia on health status and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in people with non-severe (mild and moderate) haemophilia. Aim To evaluate the health status of people living with mild or moderate haemophilia. Methods Data on respondents with no bleeding disorder (NoBD), mild and moderate haemophilia patients were drawn from the PROBE study. Respondents were enrolled using network patient organizations. This analysis was performed as a cross-sectional study. Primary outcomes were reported bleeding, acute and chronic pain, activities of daily living and HRQL. Results A total of 862 respondents with NoBD (n = 173), mild (n = 102) and moderate (n = 134) haemophilia were eligible, with a median age of 33, 42 and 43, respectively. In relation to haemophilia-related sequalae, 53% of male and 29% of female patients with mild and 83% of males with moderate haemophilia had more than 2-3 bleeds in the last 12 months. Reporting of acute and chronic pain is less in those with NoBD compared to the mild and moderate cohorts for both genders. Multivariate analysis demonstrates significant reductions in quality of life using VAS, EQ-5D-5L and PROBE for males with mild and moderate haemophilia (P ≤ .001) with only PROBE indicating a significant reduction for females with mild (P = .002). Conclusion People affected by mild or moderate haemophilia report a significant HRQL impact due to haemophilia-related bleeding. Future research is needed to identify the optimal care management of patients with mild and moderate haemophilia.

Background The Patient Reported Outcomes, Burdens and Experiences (PROBE) study aims to develop and validate questionnaire for assessing health status in patients with haemophilia and participants without bleeding disorders. Objective To investigate the test-retest properties of the PROBE questionnaire. Methods The PROBE questionnaire covers four domains and is comprised of 29 questions. People with haemophilia (PWH) and participants without bleeding disorder were invited to participate in this study. All participants were asked to complete the PROBE questionnaire three times (paper-based survey on two consecutive days: T1 and T2 and then a web-based version: T3). Test-retest properties and percentage agreement were analysed. Results A total of 63 participants were enrolled in this study with a median age of 50 (range: 17-76) years. Of these, 30 (47.6%) were PWH. On the questions common to PWH and participants without bleeding disorder, Kappa coefficients ranged from 0.69 to 1.00, indicating substantial to almost perfect agreement (T1 vs T2). For haemophilia-related questions (T1 vs T2), Kappa coefficients ranged from 0.5 to 1.0. Of these, 5 of 11 items were in perfect agreement (Kappa = 1.0). The web-based questionnaire (T3) showed substantial to almost perfect agreement with the paper version (T1 test-retest properties were comparable between PWH and individuals without a bleeding disorder). Conclusions The results suggest that PROBE is a reliable tool to assess patient-reported outcomes for PWH and benchmark data in participants without bleeding disorder. The web-based questionnaire and the standard paper-based version can be used interchangeably.

Aim: The recommended low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels of the guideline may be appropriate for Caucasian patients but not for other ethnic groups. Methods: A cohort study was conducted in Hong Kong, and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients who received percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between 2005 and 2015 were enrolled. The primary outcomes of interest were the total cost of care and cardiovascular-related cost during one-year follow-up. The cost difference by lipid goal attainments was analyzed by Poisson regression with multivariate treatment effects. The clinical outcomes achieved by lipid goal attainments in terms of major adverse cardiovascular events were analyzed by multivariate Cox regression. Results: Among the 4638 patients, 79.50%, 48.64%, and 36.14% attained the LDL-C goals of < 2.6, < 2.0, and < 1.8 mmol/L for one year, respectively. Only about 16% patients achieved the ≥ 50% reduction from baseline. None of these lipid goals was associated with a significant reduction in the total cost of care. We only identified the clinical benefits associated with the lipid goal of < 2.6 mmol/L. Other more stringent lipid goals seemed to bring a significant economic burden on cardiovascular-related cost, but their clinical benefits were uncertain. Conclusions: Lowering LDL-C to achieve the guideline-recommended target levels for post-PCI ACS patients may lead to fewer cardiovascular events, but it may not necessarily lead to economic benefits within one year of follow-up.

We estimate multiple treatment effects in presence of selection-bias and response heterogeneity, using panel data. A control function was added to a fixed-effects based correlated random coefficients model. Selection model to create the control function was contrasted between multinomial logit and multinomial probit. For the multinomial logit model, parametric and semi-parametric bias correction techniques, as proposed in Lee (Econometrica 51(2):507–512, 1983), Dubin and McFadden (Econometrica 52(2):345–362, 1984) and Dahl (Econometrica 70(6):2367–2420, 2002) respectively, were implemented. We find that controlling time-varying endogeneity, allowing response heterogeneity, the type of bias correction method and the choice of the selection model, each had significant impact on the estimated treatment effects. Using the case of biologic DMARDs, we show that in the presence of heterogeneity and multiple treatments, the specification of the latent index model should be carefully chosen along with selection bias correction techniques appropriate to the choice of the latent index model. These issues have an important impact on policy. Under one set of assumptions, we may accept a formulary expansion policy on biologic DMARDs to be cost-neutral, while rejecting the same policy as not cost-saving under another set of assumptions.

Background The interest of health care agencies, private payers and policy makers for patient-reported outcomes (PRO) is continuously increasing. There is a substantial need to improve capacity to collect and interpret relevant PRO data to support implementation of patient-centered research and optimal care in haemophilia. The Patient Reported Outcomes, Burdens and Experiences (PROBE) Project aims to develop a patient-led research network, to develop a standardized questionnaire to gather patient-reported outcomes and to perform a feasibility study of implementing the PROBE questionnaire. Methods A pilot questionnaire was developed using focus group methodology. Content and face validity were assessed by a pool of persons living with haemophilia (PWH) and content experts through interactive workshops. The PROBE questionnaire was translated with the forward-backward approach. PROBE recruited national haemophilia patient non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to administer the questionnaire to people with and without haemophilia. PROBE measured the time to complete the questionnaire and gathered feedback on its content and clarity; staff time and cost required to implement the questionnaire were also collected. Results The PROBE questionnaire is comprised of four major sections (demographic data, general health problems, haemophilia-related health problems and health-related quality of life using EQ-5D-5L and EQ-VAS). Seventeen NGOs participated in the pilot study of the PROBE Project, recruiting 656 participants. Of these, 71% completed the questionnaire within 15 min, and all participants completed within 30 min. The median total staff and volunteer time required for the NGOs to carry out the study within their country was 9 h (range 2 to 40 h). NGO costs ranged from $22.00 to $543.00 USD per country, with printing and postage being the most commonly reported expenditures. Conclusions The PROBE questionnaire assesses patient-important reported outcomes in PWH and control participants, with a demonstrated short completion time. PROBE proved the feasibility to engage diverse patient communities in the structured generation of real-world outcome research at all stages. Trial registration Trial registration: NCT02439710. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40814-018-0253-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Introduction: Over the past 21 years, treatment options for hemophilia have evolved significantly. The objective of this study is to describe the trends observed in clinician prescribing practices for management of hemophilia A (HA) and B (HB) in the United States (US) via three surveys from 1999-2021. Methods: We administered surveys to members of the Hemostasis & Thrombosis Research Society (HTRS) via an in-person paper survey at its annual symposia in 1999 and 2015, and an online survey in 2021. The survey participants included physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners who manage the care of hemophilia patients at hemophilia treatment centers in the US. The surveys collected information regarding: 1) characteristics of clinician practice, 2) prescribed clotting factor products and dosages used for routine bleeds or major life-threatening bleeding, total joint replacement, and port placement, 3) reasons for changing doses, 4) frequency of recommendation for prophylaxis and inhibitor treatment for associated factor and non-factor products, and 5) gene therapy. Results: Forty-one clinicians completed the survey in 1999 and 2021, 53 in 2015. The mean number of patients seen by respondents increased from 142 (range: 0-314) for children and 101 (0-480) for adults in 1999 to 202 (0-900) for children and 154 (0-500) for adults in 2021. The proportion of clinicians prescribing >40 units/kg of Standard Half Life (SHL) Factor IX concentrates for routine bleeding events in HB patients increased from 22.5% in 1999 to 50.9% in 2015, and 87.8% in 2021. The proportion of clinicians reported SHL Factor VIII usage for routine bleeding at a dose of >40 units/kg in HA patients increased from none in 1999 to 11.3% in 2015 and 29.3 % in 2021. The reported rates of prescribing an average >60 units/kg factor to treat major life-threatening bleeds increased from 67.5% in 1999 to 90.3% in 2021 for HB; rates were 2.5% in 1999, 17.3% in 2015 and 7.3% in 2021 for treating HA. For children 91% of clinicians reported prescribing emicizumab to treat HA inhibitors in patients of all ages, while >87% reported prescribing it to treat HA without inhibitor. Clinicians were more likely to always prescribe emicizumab to treat HA patients with inhibitors (63.2% for children and 57.1% for adults), as compared to always prescribing it for those without inhibitors (13.2% for children and 5.7% for adults). The most frequent reported method to treat a patient with a history of inhibitors on emicizumab who had break through bleeds was rFVIIa: 85.4% for children, and 75.6% for adults. The most frequently reported reasons for switching from FVIII to emicizumab were fewer injections/visits (87.8%), and improved patient quality of life (82.9%). Thirty-nine percent of clinicians reported caring for patients currently in gene therapy trials, 27.5% had patients who had completed gene therapy. When asked about potential future prescribing practices, 14.6% reported that they would prescribe gene therapy "all the time", 4.9% would prescribe it "about 3/4 of the time", 29.3% "about 1/2 the time", 29.3% "about 1/4 the time", and 22.0% "rarely or never". Conclusion: These data indicate changes in prescribing practices among hemophilia specialists in the US over the past 21 years. Prescribing of high doses of factor (>40 units/kg) increased, while ITI prescribing practices remained similar over time. To treat patients with major life-threatening bleeds, a larger proportion of clinicians prescribed high doses of factor (>60 units/kg) for patients with HB as compared to HA. Most clinicians frequently prescribed emicizumab for patients with HA inhibitors, but less frequently for those without inhibitors. At this time, there is wide diversity among clinicians in the expected uptake of gene therapy. Disclosures Curtis: Pfizer, Bayer, and Novo Nordisk: Consultancy; University of Southern California: Consultancy. Roberts: Takeda; Speakers Bureau: Novo Nordisk, Octapharma, Sanofi, Takeda.: Research Funding; Genentech, Novo Nordisk, Octapharma, Pfizer, Sanofi, Takeda, uniQure: Consultancy. Decker-Palmer: Genentech Inc. --A member of the Roche Group.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Khairnar: Genentech Inc - A Member of The Roche Group: Current Employment; University of Maryland, Baltimore: Ended employment in the past 24 months; Roche: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Wu: Baxalta US Inc., Bannockburn, IL (a Takeda Company), CSL Behring L.L.C., Octapharma USA, Inc., Genentech Inc.: Research Funding. Nichol: Pfizer, Genentech Inc., Baxalta US Inc., Bannockburn, IL (a Takeda Company), Octapharma, CSL Behring, Global Blood Therapeutics, and Novo Nordisk: Research Funding.

Introduction: Persons with hemophilia suffer from recurrent bleeds, especially hemarthrosis, which results in joint damage. Hemophilia inhibitor status impacts bleeding, which is associated with acute and chronic pain. To better characterize the impact of inhibitor status, we compared patient-reported outcomes (bleed rate, pain, and joint health), work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI), and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) by inhibitor status, and investigated the correlation of patient-reported outcomes with WPAI and HRQoL. Methods: The U.S. Hematology Utilization Group Studies Part VIII prospectively collected data to examine the cost and burden of hemophilia in persons with hemophilia A (PwHA) aged ≥2 years obtaining care at four federally-supported hemophilia treatment centers. From April 2019 to May 2021 we enrolled PwHA with and without inhibitors at a 1:2 ratio. Parents/adult participants completed a survey at enrollment to collect sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, self-reported bleeds in the last month, pain, and joint stiffness (5-item scale). We also measured WPAI and HRQoL using EQ-5D-3L. Clinical chart review documented hemophilic severity, inhibitor level and treatment regimen. Participants were classified into three groups: 1) active inhibitor (inhibitor titer ≥1.0 Bethesda Units (BU) six months prior to enrollment), 2) tolerized inhibitor (history of inhibitor titer ≥1.0 BU, immune tolerance induction (ITI) and/or currently using factor VIII for prophylaxis), and 3) no inhibitor. Patient-reported data were compared across these groups using Chi-square tests for categorical variables and generalized linear models for continuous variables. Association of bleeds, pain, and joint stiffness with HRQoL and WPAI were assessed using Pearson correlation. Results: Among 80 PwHA enrolled, 9 (11%) had active inhibitors, 22 (27.5%) had tolerized inhibitors, and 49 (61.3%) had no inhibitors. Mean age was 24.9±14.3 (standard deviation) years, 66.3% were adults, 87.5% had severe hemophilia, and 87.5% used prophylaxis. Mean age of the non-inhibitor group (29.3±13.5) was older than the tolerized inhibitor group (16.3±9.5 years, p0.05). The non-inhibitor group had a lower rate of severe hemophilia (81.6%) or prophylactic treatment (81.6%) than those in the active (100%) or tolerized groups (95.5%, p=0.13). Larger proportions of participants with active inhibitors (66.7%) and no inhibitors (57.1%) reported having bleeds in the last month compared to those with tolerized inhibitors (22.7%, p=0.01). Participants without inhibitors had a greater mean number of bleeding episodes (1.09±standard error (SE) 0.26 vs. 0.23±0.38, p=0.03), specifically joint bleeds (0.58±0.16 vs. 0.08±0.24, p=0.03,) than the tolerized group. Those with active inhibitors reported significantly higher mean joint stiffness scores (35.1±2.6 vs. 27.5±1.9, p=0.006) or more joint pain (77.8% vs. 54.5%, p=0.23) than the tolerized group. Mean EQ-5D index score was significantly lower in the active inhibitor group (0.79±SE (0.07) than in the tolerized group (0.96±0.05, p=0.03). Joint bleeding, chronic pain, and joint stiffness were negatively correlated with the EQ-5D visual analogue scale, and index scores (all correlation coefficients |r|>0.43, all p Conclusions: This study is limited to a small sample skewed toward a younger age in the tolerized inhibitor group. PwHA in the active and no inhibitor groups experienced greater clinical burden as measured by bleeds compared to the tolerized group. Those with active inhibitor displayed lower HRQoL scores than the tolerized inhibitor group. Bleeds, chronic pain and joint stiffness were inversely correlated with HRQoL, resulting in lower work productivity and activity. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Roberts: Takeda; Speakers Bureau: Novo Nordisk, Octapharma, Sanofi, Takeda.: Research Funding; Genentech, Novo Nordisk, Octapharma, Pfizer, Sanofi, Takeda, uniQure: Consultancy. Khairnar: University of Maryland, Baltimore: Ended employment in the past 24 months; Roche: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Genentech Inc - A Member of The Roche Group: Current Employment. Decker-Palmer: Genentech Inc. --A member of the Roche Group.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Curtis: Pfizer, Bayer, and Novo Nordisk: Consultancy; University of Southern California: Consultancy. Wu: Baxalta US Inc., Bannockburn, IL (a Takeda Company), CSL Behring L.L.C., Octapharma USA, Inc., Genentech Inc.: Research Funding. Nichol: Pfizer, Genentech Inc., Baxalta US Inc., Bannockburn, IL (a Takeda Company), Octapharma, CSL Behring, Global Blood Therapeutics, and Novo Nordisk: Research Funding.

To determine US societal burden of illness, including direct and indirect costs and annual bleed rate (ABR), for persons with hemophilia B (HB), a rare and debilitating genetic disorder, and to examine associations of hemophilia severity and treatment regimens with costs and ABR.From 2009 to 2014, the Hemophilia Utilization Group Studies Part Vb collected prospective data from 10 US hemophilia treatment centers. Participants with HB completed initial surveys on sociodemographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and treatment patterns. During the 2-year follow-up, participants reported bleeding episodes, work absenteeism, and caregiver time quarterly. These data were used to calculate ABR and indirect costs. Direct costs were calculated using 1-year clinical chart records and 2-year dispensing records.Of the 148 participants, 112 with complete medical records and one or more follow-up survey were included. Total mean annual per-person costs were $85,852 (median $20,160) for mild/moderate HB, $198,733 (median $147,891) for severe HB, and $140,240 (median $63,617) for all participants without inhibitors (P0.0001). Mean ABR for participants with severe HB on prophylaxis (5.5 ± 7.9 bleeds/y) was almost half that of those treated episodically. Clotting factor and indirect costs accounted for 85% and 9% of total costs, respectively. Compared with episodic treatment, prophylaxis use was associated with 2.5-fold higher clotting factor costs (P0.01), low but significantly more missed parental workdays (P0.0001) and clinician (P0.001) or nursing visits (P0.0001), less part-time employment and unemployment, and lower hospitalizations costs (P = 0.17) and ABR (P0.0001).HB is associated with high economic burden, primarily because of clotting factor costs. Nevertheless, prophylaxis treatment leads to clinical benefits and may reduce other nonfactor costs.

Background: von Willebrand disease (VWD) is the most common inherited bleeding disorder. Questions remain regarding the impact of VWD related bleeding phenotype on healthcare utilization, joint health, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the US. Objective: Our study investigated the impact of VWD bleeding phenotype on healthcare utilization, joint health, and HRQoL in a geographically diverse cohort of individuals with VWD who obtain care at seven US Hemophilia Treatment Centers (HTCs). Methods: Hematology Utilization Group Studies (HUGS) prospectively examined the cost and burden of illness in persons with VWD. The current study enrolled individuals age ≥12 with VWD Type 1 (VWF:Ag/RCo: ≤30%), low VWF (VWF:Ag/RCo: 30-50%), Type 2, and 3. Participants completed a standardized interview to collect sociodemographic and clinical data, self-reported healthcare utilization and bleeding in last 6 months, self-reported pain, joint health and HRQoL measured by EQ-5D-3L. Clinical chart reviews abstracted information about VWD type and treatment. Association of bleeding and VWD type with healthcare utilization, joint health, and HRQoL were assessed using Chi-square or Fisher exact tests for categorical variables and Student T-tests or one-way ANOVA for continuous variables. P value ≥0.05 indicates not statistically significant (NS). Results: We analyzed 100 participants with complete baseline information. Mean age was 31.7 (SD=18.6) years, 67.0% were adults ≥18 years, 80.0% were female, 67.7% had Type 1/low VWF, and 3.0% had Type 3 VWD. Mean age at VWD diagnosis was 13.6 (SD=13.0) years. Persons with low VWF were diagnosed and received VWD treatment at an older age (mean 19.2, SD=11.8; 19.4, SD=11.9 years for diagnosis and treatment respectively) than those with Type 1 (13.7, SD=12.7; 15.6, SD=13.7), or Types 2&3 (9.4, SD=12.9; 13.3, SD=16.6), p=0.03 and p=NS. As compared to individuals without bleeding in the previous 6 months, those reported bleeding had significantly higher rate of medical procedures related to treating bleeding events (42.5% vs. 13.3%, p=0.001), and overnight hospitalization (20.0% vs. 3.3%, p Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that persons with VWD who obtain care at US HTCs experience significant illness burden regardless of severity. Self-reported recent bleeding as expected was associated with increased healthcare utilization and negative impact on joint health and HRQoL. Bleeding phenotype was significantly associated with healthcare utilization differences. Delayed diagnosis and treatment for persons with low VWF may impact their HRQoL, and if confirmed in a larger sample size would underscore the fact that low VWF is not necessarily a mild disorder compared to other VWD subtypes. Disclosures Roberts: Octapharma: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Sanofi: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Novo Nordisk: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; uniQure: Consultancy. Kulkarni:Bioverativ/Sanofi, BPL, Genentech, Kedrion, Novo Nordisk, Octapharma, Pfizer, Takeda, Catalyst Bioscience Bayer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sanofi/ Bioverativ, Bayer, Biomarin, Shire/Takeda, Novo Nordisk, Freeline: Other: clinical trial research grants . Sidonio:Octapharma, Grifols, Takeda and Genentech: Research Funding; Bayer, Bioverativ/Sanofi, Novo Nordisk, Takeda, Uniqure, Biomarin, Octapharma, Catalyst, Grifols, Sigilon, Tremeau, Genentech/Roche: Consultancy. Carpenter:Kedrion: Honoraria; Novo Nordisk: Honoraria; Genentech, Inc.: Honoraria; American Thrombosis and Hemostasis Network: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; CSL Behring: Research Funding; Shire: Research Funding; Hemostasis & Thrombosis Research Society: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; American Academy of Pediatrics: Other: PREP Heme/Onc editorial board. Konkle:Sigilon: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Research Funding; BioMarin: Consultancy; Sanofi: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Uniquire: Research Funding; CSL Behring: Consultancy; Roche: Consultancy; Baxalta: Research Funding; Spark: Consultancy, Research Funding. Wu:Baxalta US Inc., Bannockburn, IL (a Takeda Company), CSL Behring L.L.C., and Octapharma USA, Inc.: Research Funding. Curtis:USC Hemophilia Utilization Group Study (HUGS): Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy; Novo Nordisk: Consultancy; Patient Reported Outcomes, Burdens and Experiences: Consultancy. Carrasco:Baxalta US Inc., Bannockburn, IL (a Takeda Company), CSL Behring L.L.C., and Octapharma USA, Inc.: Research Funding. Tran:Novo Nordisk: Consultancy; Bioverativ: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy. Nichol:Global Blood Therapeutics: Research Funding; Octapharma: Research Funding; CSL Behring: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Baxalta US Inc., Bannockburn, IL (a Takeda Company): Research Funding; Genentech Inc.: Research Funding.

BACKGROUD Improved care and prophylactic factor replacement therapy have lengthened life expectancy for persons with hemophilia (PWH). These advancements have created a new hemophilia cohort of senior persons not seen since the previous human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) years, and little is known about their age-related health outcomes. OBJECTIVES We describe the impact of hemophilia on comorbidities, joint problems, healthcare utilization and health related quality of life (HRQoL) from the HUGS VII baseline data. METHODS HUGS VII prospectively examines the cost and burden of hemophilia, including HRQoL, arthropathy, and economic impact in persons with hemophilia A or B age ≥ 40 years who obtained care from three US Hemophilia Treatment Centers. Participants completed a standardized interview to collect clinical and sociodemographic characteristics, hemophilia treatment regimen, pain, joint problems, comorbidities, and HRQoL using EQ-5D-3L. Clinical chart reviews documented hemophilic severity and treatment. Participants' characteristics were compared between two age groups: 40-49 years and ≥ 50 years using Chi-square tests for categorical variables and T-tests for continuous variables. RESULTS This analysis includes a total of 70 male with hemophilia, 64.3% aged ≥50 years, 75.7% with hemophilia A. Individuals ≥ 50 years had higher rates of being married or with a partner (71.11% vs. 56.0%, P=0.20), retired/not employed (66.7% vs. 28.0%, P=0.002), and having mild or moderate hemophilia (68.9% vs. 40.0%, P=0.02) than those 40-49 years old. Use of prophylaxis was similar among age groups in severe hemophilia but lower for older mild/moderate PWH. Among persons with mild/moderate hemophilia, those ≥ 50 years old reported a higher rate of joint pain (83.8% vs 70.0%, P=0.37) or range of motion limitation (73.3% vs, 60.0%, p=0.45) than the younger group, although the differences were not statistically significant. Compared to those 40-49 years old, individuals ≥ 50 years old reported fewer emergency room visits (4.6% vs. 20.8%, P=0.03), and physical therapy visits (16.0% vs. 41.7%, P=0.06). The older age group had significantly higher rates of self-reported myocardial infarction (11.6% vs. 0%, P=0.08) and diabetes (24.4% vs. 4.0%, P=0.03) than those 40-49 years. Self-reported comorbidities were measured by asking "Has a doctor ever told you that you have certain conditions?" The most frequently reported comorbidities were hepatitis C infection (75.7%, 79.3% of persons with infected hepatitis C had been treated and, 82.7% cleared the hepatitis C virus), hypertension (47.1%), depression (23.2%) and anxiety (21.7%). Mean covariates adjusted EQ-5D index score was lower in older persons (0.79 vs. 0.87, P=0.09). CONCLUSIONS Older PWH are over-represented by individuals with mild/moderate disease, potentially due to premature death among those with severe disease. Although this group included a larger proportion of mild disease than younger PWH, it presented prevalent comorbidities both of aging and of hemophilic arthropathy, despite lower rates of healthcare utilization and use of preventive therapies. Disclosures Curtis: USC Hemophilia Utilization Group Study (HUGS): Consultancy; Patient Reported Outcomes, Burdens and Experiences: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy; Novo Nordisk: Consultancy. Konkle:Pfizer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy; BioMarin: Consultancy; Sigilon: Consultancy, Research Funding; Sanofi: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Uniquire: Research Funding; CSL Behring: Consultancy; Baxalta: Research Funding; Spark: Consultancy, Research Funding. Kulkarni:Sanofi/ Bioverativ, Bayer, Biomarin, Shire/Takeda, Novo Nordisk, Freeline: Other: clinical trial research grants ; Bioverativ/Sanofi, BPL, Genentech, Kedrion, Novo Nordisk, Octapharma, Pfizer, Takeda, Catalyst Bioscience Bayer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Wu:Baxalta US Inc., Bannockburn, IL (a Takeda Company), CSL Behring L.L.C., and Octapharma USA, Inc.: Research Funding. Tran:Takeda: Consultancy; Novo Nordisk: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy; Bioverativ: Consultancy. Nichol:Global Blood Therapeutics: Research Funding; CSL Behring: Research Funding; Octapharma: Research Funding; Genentech Inc.: Research Funding; Baxalta US Inc., Bannockburn, IL (a Takeda Company): Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding.

To estimate longitudinal trends in prevalence and incidence rates of adult ADHD 2006–2009. Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) electronic medical records were analyzed to assess prevalence and incidence rates for adult ADHD. Trends over time were estimated and compared using three case definitions (ADHD diagnosis only [DX], ADHD DX and ≥2 FDA-approved ADHD prescriptions [DX + RX], and ADHD DX and ≥1 behavioral therapy visit [DX + BT]). Prevalence and incidence rates of adult ADHD. Prevalence ranged from 151 (DX + RX) to 312 (DX) cases per 100,000 members in 2006, increasing to 239 (DX + RX) and 415 (DX) cases in 2009. Prevalence based on DX + BT declined from 185 in 2006 to 94 cases per 100,000 in 2009. In 2006, incidence ranged from 15 (DX + BT) to 68 (DX) cases per 100,000 person-years. Incidence rates remained stable throughout the study period. Stratified analyses based on DX + RX revealed only slight variations by gender, but sharp differences by age, with younger adults demonstrating a higher prevalence overall as well as dramatic increases over the study period. Prevalence was highest among Caucasians, increasing substantially across all race groups over time. A limitation of this study is that incidence rates may not be representative of new cases if diagnoses existed prior to enrollment in KPSC. Similarly, prevalence rates may be affected if patients sought care outside of the health plan. Adult ADHD prevalence in this managed care organization appears low, but showed increasing prevalence and incidence rates over time.

ObjectivesThe objective was to explore the differences in medication use pattern of lipid-lowering drug (LLD) and antiplatelet agents among post-percutaneous coronary intervention patients with acute coronary syndrome aged DesignRetrospective study.SettingThis study used deidentified claims data from Clinformatics Data Mart database (OptumInsight, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA) and electronic health records from HK Hospital Authority Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System database.ParticipantsWe used 1 year prescription records of LLDs and antiplatelet agents among 1013 USA patients and 270 HK Chinese patients in 2011–2013.Primary and secondary outcome measuresContinuity was investigated on the assumption that one defined daily dose represented 1 day treatment. Medication possession ratio method was used to evaluate the adherence. Multivariate-adjusted logistic regressions were constructed to compare the good continuity and adherence levels in the merged database with the cutoffs set at 80%, and Cox proportional hazard models were built using the time to discontinuation as the dependent variable, to assess the persistence level.ResultsHK Chinese patients were less adherent (67.41% vs 84.60%, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for Americans over Chinese=2.23 (95% CI=1.60 to 3.12), pConclusionsWe seemed to find HK physicians tended to prescribe cheaper and lower doses of statins and antiplatelet agents when compared with the privately insured patients in the USA, though the adherence and persistence levels of HK patients with statins were relatively good.

INTRODUCTION Depression can impact quality of life, functioning, and treatment adherence. However, depression in persons with hemophilia A (PwHA) is not uniformly examined nationwide. We report on depression and treatment-related hemophilia symptoms and utilization in a sample from six geographically representative U.S. Hemophilia Treatment Centers (HTCs). METHODS Hematology Utilization Group Studies part Va (HUGS Va, 2005-2007) was an observational study that collected data on sociodemographics and 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) via patient survey, and clinical characteristics via medical chart review for adults (≥18 years old) with hemophilia A. Depressive disorders were assessed by the SF-12 mental component score (MCS), a validated population-based measure including depressive disorders. MCS≤45 has been identified as a depressive symptom threshold suggestive of a disorder. MCS≤36 indicate more severe psychological symptomatology and/or impairment. Demographic and clinical characteristic associations with depression were assessed using Chi-square tests. RESULTS The analysis included 147 adults with mean age 33.0±12.5 years old, 64% with severe hemophilia. Using the criteria of MCS≤45, 27.9% of sample had depressive disorder, and 10.2% had more severe depression at MCS≤36, higher than the 9.0% prevalence of current depression in the general U.S. population studied by CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey data (2006 and 2008). Compared with individuals with no depressive disorder, those with depression were less likely to complete their high school education (51.2% vs. 75.2%, P CONCLUSIONS This sample of PwHA reported higher rates of potentially depressive disorders than the general USA population. Lower educational levels, joint problems, and barriers to accessing care may be high-risk factors for depressive disorders. Disclosures Wu: Baxalta US Inc., Bannockburn, IL (a Takeda Company), CSL Behring L.L.C., and Octapharma USA, Inc.: Research Funding. Curtis:USC Hemophilia Utilization Group Study (HUGS): Consultancy; Patient Reported Outcomes, Burdens and Experiences: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy; Novo Nordisk: Consultancy. Tran:Bayer: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy; Bioverativ: Consultancy; Novo Nordisk: Consultancy. Nichol:Octapharma: Research Funding; CSL Behring: Research Funding; Baxalta US Inc., Bannockburn, IL (a Takeda Company): Research Funding; Genentech Inc.: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Global Blood Therapeutics: Research Funding.

BACKGROUND The Patient Reported Outcomes Burdens and Experience (PROBE) study has developed and validated the PROBE questionnaire for assessing patient-reported outcomes in people with haemophilia and participants without bleeding disorders. OBJECTIVE To explore the regional variations in the international implementation of the PROBE questionnaire. METHODS Data were collected from participants in four regions (Western Pacific, South America, North America and Europe). Participants were able to choose English or translated versions of the PROBE questionnaire into their first language. We used analysis of variance methods and multivariable regression to determine the relative contribution of the variance explained by region controlling for haemophilia diagnosis, age group and levels of educations. We also explored interactions between region and the other components. RESULTS We used 862 questionnaires from 14 countries. Mean age of participants was 40.03 years (standard deviation 13.89), and 73.67% were male. After adjusting, region contributed 0.44%-7.98% of the variance component in subitem scores and 0.26% in the PROBE score. Years of education contributed 0.34% in the PROBE score. Age and haemophilia diagnosis contributed 3.42% and 22.42% of the PROBE score. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrate that the PROBE questionnaire is valid to implement for assessing health status among patients with haemophilia and participants without bleeding disorders across regions.

Improvements in hemophilia care over the last several decades might lead to expectations of a near-normal quality of life for young adults with hemophilia. However, few published reports specifically examine health status indicators in this population. To remedy this knowledge gap, we examined the impact of hemophilia on physical and social functioning and quality of life among a national US cohort of 141 young men with hemophilia aged 18-34 years of age who received care at 10 geographically diverse, federally funded hemophilia treatment centers in 11 states between 2005 and 2013 and enrolled in the Hemophilia Utilization Group Studies. Indicators studied included educational achievement, employment status, insurance, health-related quality of life, and prevalence of the following comorbidities: pain, range of motion limitation, overweight/obesity, and viral status. The cohort was analyzed to compare those aged 18-24 to those aged 25-34 years. When compared to the general US adult population, this nationally representative cohort of young US adults with hemophilia experienced significant health and social burdens: more liver disease, joint damage, joint pain, and unemployment as well as lower high-school graduation rates. Nearly half were overweight or obese. Conversely, this cohort had higher levels of health insurance and equivalent mental health scores. While attention has typically focused on newborns, children, adolescents, and increasingly, on older persons with hemophilia, our findings suggest that a specific focus on young adults is warranted to determine the most effective interventions to improve health and functioning for this apparently vulnerable age group.

Allergy immunotherapy (AIT) is the only available treatment that alters the natural course of allergies and has possible disease-modifying effects. AIT is administered primarily via subcutaneous injection delivered in a physician's office. Few studies have been conducted in the United States or Canada to evaluate the costs of subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT).To (a) describe SCIT administration processes, resources, and costs and (b) characterize the patient population receiving SCIT.A multisite, prospective, observational time and motion study was conducted. Injection and wait times were collected by a third-party observer on 1 visit for each patient. Extract preparation processes were also observed. Site staff reported on treatment protocols, administrative time, supplies, and patient medical history. Patients responded to questionnaires on demographics, reasons for treatment, medication use, productivity, and travel time. Costs were estimated by applying unit costs to the time observations and the patient- and staff-reported data.A total of 670 SCIT patients were enrolled at 6 sites in the United States and 6 sites in Canada. Average age in the United States was 41 years (SD = 18) and 44 years (15) in Canada, with 10% of the patients aged ≥ 65 years. Annual incomes were over $100,000 for 40% of U.S. patients and 30% of Canadian patients. U.S. patients had over 4 times as many different allergens in their SCIT treatments as Canadian patients, with a mean of 18 versus 4. The most common reasons reported for starting SCIT was a "desire to cure allergies once and for all" (73%) and that "symptoms are not improved by allergy medications" (60%). Percentages of patients taking allergy medications in the 4 weeks prior to observation were 86% in the United States and 66% in Canada: antihistamines 75% United States, 54% Canada; inhaled corticosteroids 32% United States, 22% Canada. The predominant comorbidity was asthma, 43% United States, 24% Canada. Site protocols for build-up treatment phases were 1 to 2 injections per week for an average of 25 weeks (range 12-52). Maintenance phases were 1 injection every 3 to 4 weeks for an average of 4 years (range 2.5-5). Eight of the sites had total mean staff times per injection visit of 7 to 22 minutes; 1 site averaged fewer minutes, and 3 sites averaged more. Total direct medical costs were an average of $30 for Canadian patients per visit and $32 per visit for U.S. patients, half accounted for by the cost of the extract. Pre- and postinjection administrative tasks were the second largest driver of direct costs. Total injection visit-related time for patients, including round-trip travel time, averaged about 80 minutes per visit in the United States and in Canada.Analyses revealed substantial variation in SCIT regimens among sites, but the sites had commonalities in the injection process components. SCIT requires patient commitment to a long-term treatment regimen involving numerous clinic visits and resources for administration.

OBJECTIVE: Preliminary evidence suggests that elder abuse forensic centers improve victim welfare by increasing necessary prosecutions and conservatorships and reducing the recurrence of protective service referrals. Center team members gather information and make decisions designed to protect clients and their assets, yet the collective process of how these case reviews are conducted remains unexamined. The purpose of this study is to present a model describing the interprofessional approach of investigation and response to financial exploitation (FE), a frequent and complex type of abuse of vulnerable adults. METHODS: To develop an understanding of the case review process at the Los Angeles County Elder Abuse Forensic Center (Center), a quasi-Delphi field study approach was used involving direct observations of meetings, surveying team members, and review from the Center's Advisory Council. The goal of this iterative analysis was to understand the case review process for suspected FE in Los Angeles County. RESULTS: A process map of key forensic center elements was developed that may be useful for replication in other settings. The process map includes: (a) multidisciplinary data collection, (b) key decisions for consideration, and (c) strategic actions utilized by an interprofessional team focused on elder justice. DISCUSSION: Elder justice relies on a complex system of providers. Elder abuse forensic centers provide a process designed to efficiently address client safety, client welfare, and protection of assets. Study findings provide a process map that may help other communities replicate an established multidisciplinary team, one experienced with justice system outcomes designed to protect FE victims. Language: en

This study aimed to assess the effect of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goal attainments (of2.6mmol/L and1.8mmol/L) on first major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).A retrospective cohort study was conducted using case reviews of post-PCI ACS patients at an acute public hospital in Hong Kong between January 2009 and August 2015. Patients were followed from the date of PCI procedure until the first documented MACE (including all-cause death, myocardial infarction, heart failure, documented unstable angina, revascularization, and stroke) or to the end of the first year. Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to evaluate the impact of LDL-C goal attainments prior to the event on event-free time.A total of 1684 patients were identified (79.0% males). At one-year endpoint, 658 (39.1%) attained the LDL-C goal of1.8mmol/L, 727 (43.2%) had the LDL-C level between 1.8mmol/L and 2.6mmol/L, and 299 (17.8%) had the LDL-C level≥2.6mmol/L. About 10% experienced a MACE within one year. After adjustment for other available risk factors, attainment of LDL-C goal2.6mmol/L was significantly associated with lower rates of MACEs during the one-year follow-up; and those who achieved the LDL-C level of 1.8mmol/L did not seem to carry any incremental clinical benefits.Among post-PCI ACS patients, we merely observed a high correlation between the lipid goal attainment of2.6mmol/L and MACEs through one-year follow-up, but not for the goal of1.8mmol/L.

ObjectiveTo estimate the health resource use (HRU) and expenditure of adult patients with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) subsequently diagnosed with one or more mental health (MH) comorbidities.MethodsUsing Kaiser Permanente Southern California electronic medical records (January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2009), we identified adults with at least one ADHD diagnosis and at least two subsequent prescriptions fills for ADHD medication. The date of first MH comorbidity diagnosis after the index ADHD diagnosis was defined as the index transition date. Continuous eligibility 12 months before and after the index transition date was required. For patients with multiple transitions (≥2), the post-transition period reflected the 12 months after the second transition. HRU for all-cause inpatient, outpatient, emergency department, behavioral therapy, overall prescription fill counts, and ADHD-specific prescription fill counts and mean patient expenditure (2010 US $) were estimated. Generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate differences in HRU and expenditure between the pre- and post-transition periods, respectively.ResultsOf the 3809 patients with ADHD identified, 989 (26%) had at least one transition (n = 357 single and n = 632 multiple). From the pre- to the post-transition period, for single transition cohort, all HRU increased significantly except for behavioral therapy. In the multiple transition cohort, all HRU increased significantly. Total expenditure increased by mean ± SE of $1822 ± $306 and $4432 ± $301 (both P < 0.0001) in the single and multiple transition cohorts, respectively.ConclusionsTwenty-six percent of patients with ADHD transitioned to MH comorbid diagnoses. Increased HRU and expenditure were associated with MH transitions. Identifying of patients with ADHD at risk for MH comorbidities may help to improve their outcomes.

Objective To investigate multiple medication adherence (MMA) and its impact on microvascular and macrovascular complications using instrumental variables (IVs). Research design A retrospective observational study was conducted using administrative claims and electronic medical records from a large physician group in Southern California (N=2334). Subjects We identified individuals between January 2006 and June 2009 newly starting oral diabetes (DM) or hypertension (HTN) medications with preexisting comorbid HTN or DM prescription history. Measures MMA was defined as a proportion of days covered where both DM and HTN medications were simultaneously available over a 33-month follow-up period. Microvascular or macrovascular complications included myocardial infarction, stroke, renal failure, and diabetic retinopathy. Multivariable logistic regressions and an IV estimation using physician-related variables were implemented. Results MMA was supoptimal as the mean (SD) proportion of days covered was 0.53 (0.32). Patients were more adherent to medications for a preexisting condition in comparison with those for the newer disease. Older age, number of index medications [OR (95% CI)=1.36 (1.22-1.52)], receiving care from a physician who prescribed statin more frequently [OR (95% CI)=2.63 (1.67-4.14)], and receiving care from the same physician for both DM and HTN [OR (95% CI)=1.57 (1.08-2.27)] were significant factors of being adherent. Using physician-related IVs, MMA reduced microvascular and macrovascular complications. The increase in MMA from 50% to 80% reduced the average predicted probability of microvascular or macrovascular complication rate by 29.5%. Conclusions Adherence to medications for DM and HTN were differed and higher MMA reduced microvascular or macrovascular complications when controlling for endogeneity bias.

Objective To assess racial/ethnic differences in the use of biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) among California Medicaid (Medi-Cal) rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Methods Medi-Cal patient level data for 5,385 DMARD recipients between ages 18 and 100 years with at least 1 diagnosis of RA (International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code 714.xx) and the use of 1 DMARD between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2005 were collected. The outcome of interest was the choice of either standard DMARDs (methotrexate, lefluonomide, hydroxychloroquine, and sulfasalazine) or biologic DMARDs (adalimumab, etanercept, anakinra, and infliximab). A univariate analysis and logistic regression model were applied to examine the association of the choice of DMARD among different racial/ethnic groups. Results In the univariate analysis, biologic DMARD use was significantly associated with race/ethnicity (P < 0.001). In the multivariate logistic regression model, after adjusting for age, sex, insurance coverage, 12 comorbid conditions, RA-related drug prescription, RA-related inpatient stay, and rehabilitation visits, African Americans had 53% lower odds of receiving biologic DMARDs as compared to whites, whereas Hispanics had 36% increased odds of receiving biologic DMARDs as compared to whites. Conclusion In this Medi-Cal population, with its racial diversity and relatively homogenous socioeconomic status and health care benefits, racial/ethnic differences were found in RA patients receiving biologic DMARDs.

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? The use of a single, elevated PSA level to screen for prostate cancer is controversial given its reported low specificity and the questionable benefits of PSA screening on prostate cancer mortality. Current guidelines in the USA recommend against screening using a single PSA measurement. Previous studies suggest that using changes in PSA level over time, or PSA velocity, may improve the detection of prostate cancer and/or aggressive disease; however, this is also controversial as other studies suggest PSA velocity does not improve detection and may further contribute to the overdetection of indolent prostate cancer. Given the questions that remain regarding the use of the rate of change in PSA as a screening tool for prostate cancer because of previous conflicting studies, which to date have included small, highly selected populations, this study adds to the existing knowledge by assessing this question in general practice settings among a large, diverse population. Objective To determine whether the rate of change in total serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels accurately detects prostate cancer and to evaluate whether it adds any predictive value to a single measurement of serum PSA alone, in general practice settings. Materials and Methods A retrospective cohort of 219 388 community-dwelling men, aged ≥45 years, enrolled in the Kaiser Permanente Southern California health plan, with no history of prostate cancer and at least three PSA measurements, were followed from 1 January 1998 to 31 December 2007, for the development of biopsy-confirmed prostate cancer. Annual percent changes in total serum PSA levels were estimated using linear mixed models. The accuracy of prostate cancer prediction was assessed for prostate cancer overall and for aggressive disease (Gleason score ≥7) and compared with that of a single measure of PSA level using area under the receiver-operating characteristic curves (AUCs). Results The men in this cohort experienced a mean change of 2.9% in PSA levels per year and the rate of change in PSA increased modestly with age (P ≤ 0.001). Annual percent changes in PSA accurately predicted the presence of prostate cancer (AUC = 0.963) and aggressive disease (AUC = 0.955) and had more predictive accuracy for aggressive disease than did a single measurement of PSA alone (AUC = 0.727). Conclusions Longitudinal measures of PSA improve the accuracy of aggressive prostate cancer detection when compared with a single measurement of PSA alone. Findings from this study provide insight into the usefulness of PSA velocity as a detection marker for aggressive prostate cancer.

Advocacy coalitions often play an important role in the state health policymaking process, yet little is known about their structure, composition, and behavior. In 2008, California became the first state to enact a menu labeling law. Using the advocacy coalition framework, we examine different facets of the coalitions involved in California's menu labeling policy debate. We use a qualitative research approach to identify coalition members and explore their expressed beliefs and policy arguments, resources, and strategies by analyzing legislative documents (n = 87) and newspaper articles (n = 78) produced between 1999 and 2009. Between 2003 and 2008, six menu labeling bills were introduced in the state's legislature. We found the issue received increasing media attention during this period. We identified two advocacy coalitions involved in the debate-a public health (PH) coalition and an industry coalition. State organizations acted as coalition leaders and participated for a longer duration than elected officials. The structure and composition of each coalition varied. PH coalition leadership and membership notably increased compared to the industry coalition. The PH coalition, led by nonprofit PH and health organizations, promoted a clear and consistent message around informed decision making. The industry coalition, led by a state restaurant association, responded with cost and implementation arguments. Each coalition used various resources and strategies to advance desired outcomes. PH coalition leaders were particularly effective at using resources and employing advocacy strategies, which included engaging state legislators as coalition members, using public opinion polls and information, and leveraging media resources to garner support. Policy precedence and a local policy push emerged as important policymaking strategies. Areas for future research on the state health policymaking process are discussed.

BACKGROUND: 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) is the recommended firstline treatment for active mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis (UC) and for maintenance of UC remission. However, persistence and adherence to prescribed 5-ASAs are often suboptimal. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate 5-ASA medication use patterns and assess risk factors associated with nonpersistence and nonadherence to oral 5-ASA medications in UC patients. METHODS: IMS LifeLink Health Plan claims data (January 2007 to June 2011) were analyzed. We identified adult patients (18 years or older) with at least 1 diagnosis of UC (ICD-9-CM code = 556.x [ulcerative colitis]) and at least 1 pharmacy claim for an oral 5-ASA (balsalazide disodium, sulfasalazine, mesalamine delayed-release, and Multi-Matrix System mesalamine) during the study period. Patients were required to have continuous eligibility on both health and pharmacy plans for 6 months pre- and 12 months postinitial pharmacy claim (index date). Medication use patterns (discontinuation, time to discontinuation [days], switch, and nonadherence) in the 12 months following the index date were evaluated. Nonpersistence or discontinuation with the index medication was defined as a treatment gap ≥ 60 days. Switch was identified as patients changing to another 5-ASA product after discontinuing the index medication. Nonadherence to index medication was determined by medication possession ratio (MPR)

SUMMARY In health care, decision makers are generally interested in simultaneous comparisons among multiple treatments or interventions available as treatment choices in real-world clinical setting. The lack of random assignment to treatment in real-world clinical settings leads to selection-bias issues when evaluating the marginal benefits of treatment. The application of instrumental variables (IV) estimation to mitigate selection bias has traditionally been limited to comparing only two treatments/interventions concurrently. Using the case of biologic treatment in rheumatoid arthritis, we describe a generalized method of moments (GMM)–based panel data IV (IV-GMM) framework, to simultaneously estimate multiple treatment effects in the presence of time-varying selection bias and time-invariant heterogeneity. To satisfy the order and rank conditions for identification with multiple endogeneity, we propose lagged values of each treatment as excluded instruments. We evaluate the validity of the IV estimation assumptions on instrument relevance and exogeneity. Results indicate that the IV-GMM model offers enhanced control over selection bias and heterogeneity, and more importantly the panel data framework can provide valid excluded instruments that satisfy the order and rank conditions for identification when dealing with multiple endogenous variables. The approach outlined in this article has broad application for comparative effectiveness and health technology assessment involving multiple treatments/interventions using real-world nonexperimental data. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Study Type – Diagnostic (cost effectiveness) Level of Evidence 2b What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? The Beckman Coulter prostate health index (phi) was developed as a combination of serum prostate specific antigen (PSA), free PSA and a PSA precursor form [−2]proPSA to calculate the probability of prostate cancer and was used as an aid in distinguishing prostate cancer from benign prostatic conditions for men with PSA test 2–10 ng/mL and non-suspicious digital rectal examination. Phi has been shown to improve diagnostic accuracy in prostate cancer detection compared with total and free PSA. An earlier 1-year budget impact analysis revealed it to be a complementary approach to current prostate cancer screening strategies. The current study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of early prostate cancer detection with phi in combination with a PSA test compared with a PSA test alone from the US societal perspective. The model with over 25 annual screening cycles for men aged 50–75 years indicated that PSA plus phi dominated the PSA test alone in prostate cancer detection and consequent treatment. PSA plus phi may be an important strategy for prostate cancer detection. OBJECTIVE • To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of early prostate cancer detection with the Beckman Coulter Prostate Health Index (phi) (not currently available in the USA) adding to the serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test compared with the PSA test alone from the US societal perspective. PATIENTS AND METHODS • Phi was developed as a combination of PSA, free PSA, and a PSA precursor form [−2]proPSA to calculate the probability of prostate cancer and was used as an aid in distinguishing prostate cancer from benign prostatic conditions for men with a borderline PSA test (e.g. PSA 2–10 ng/mL or 4–10 ng/mL) and non-suspicious digital rectal examination. • We constructed a Markov model with probabilistic sensitivity analysis to estimate expected costs and utilities of prostate cancer detection and consequent treatment for the annual prostate cancer screening in the male population aged 50–75 years old. • The transition probabilities, health state utilities and prostate cancer treatment costs were derived from the published literature. The diagnostic performance of phi was obtained from a multi-centre study. Diagnostic related costs were obtained from the 2009 Medicare Fee Schedule. • Cost-effectiveness was compared between the strategies of PSA test alone and PSA plus phi under two PSA thresholds (≥2 ng/mL and ≥4 ng/mL) to recommend a prostate biopsy. RESULTS • Over 25 annual screening cycles, the strategy of PSA plus phi dominated the PSA-only strategy using both thresholds of PSA ≥2 ng/mL and PSA ≥4 ng/mL, and was estimated to save $1199 or $443, with an expected gain of 0.08 or 0.03 quality adjusted life years, respectively. • The probabilities of PSA plus phi being cost effective were approximately 77–70% or 78–71% at a range of $0–$200 000 willingness to pay using PSA thresholds ≥2 ng/mL and ≥4 ng/mL, respectively. CONCLUSION • The strategy PSA plus phi may be an important strategy for prostate cancer detection at both thresholds of PSA ≥2 ng/mL and PSA ≥4 ng/mL to recommend a prostate biopsy compared with using PSA alone.

Approximately 314 million people worldwide are visually impaired, and about 82% of those 314 million are over the age of 50 years.1 The prevalence of visual impairment in the United States (U.S.) adult population over the age of 50 years ranges from 14.3% to 20.5%.2 Visual impairment can lead to disability,3 and as the number of older individuals increases in the U.S., the prevention and management of vision-related disability has become a major public health4 and clinical priority.5 Using health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as a measure of disability, researchers have noted that both visual field loss and visual acuity impairment are associated with increased disability. Population6–9 and multi-center clinically based studies10 consistently seem to indicate that worse visual impairment correlates with poorer HRQoL. Furthermore, individuals with higher levels of visual impairment are at increased risk for poorer outcomes such as falls and falls with injury,11 motor vehicle accidents,12 inability to drive,13 social dependence,14 and increased mortality.15, 16 Most studies, however, have evaluated the impact of prevalent visual impairment on HRQoL rather than the impact of change in visual impairment or the joint effect of both visual field (VF) loss and visual acuity impairment on HRQoL. The Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES),17 a prospective cohort study among Latino adults, offers the unique opportunity to test these hypotheses in a population-based sample. The central focus of this report was to further our current understanding of visual impairment on HRQoL by evaluating the impact of VF changes on HRQoL and to test whether pre-existing levels of vision loss modify this association. These results may provide important evidence-based knowledge necessary to tailor both public health and clinical interventions aimed toward preventing or delaying vision-related disability or toward increasing awareness of vision-related disability, especially for those with VF loss, which is often an irreversible condition.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the budget impact of a new prostate cancer risk index for detecting prostate cancer. The index is calculated as the combination of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA), free PSA and a precursor form p2PSA. We constructed two budget impact models using PSA cutoff values of ≥2 ng ml(-1) (model #1) and ≥4 ng ml(-1) (model #2) for recommending a prostate biopsy in a hypothetical health plan with 100 000 male members aged 50-75 years old. The budgetary impact on the 1-year expected total costs for prostate cancer detection was calculated. Adding the index to the current PSA prostate cancer testing strategies including the total PSA and percent free PSA, the number of detected cancer cases decreased by 20 and 5, in models #1 and #2, respectively. The savings on expected 1-year cost for prostate cancer detection were $356 647 (or $0.30 per-member-per-month (PMPM)) in model #1 and $94 219 ($0.08 PMPM) in model #2. The index produced higher cost savings in the model #1 with PSA cutoff ≥2 ng ml(-1) than the model #2 with cutoff ≥4 ng ml(-1) with a small short-term reduction in the number of positive tests.

BACKGROUND There are limited longitudinal studies following up persons with hemophilia (PWH) in adherence to clotting factor treatment and health outcomes. The Hemophilia Utilization Group Studies part Va (HUGS Va) was a two-year observational study of persons with hemophilia A conducted from 2005-2007. Participants from HUGS Va were enrolled to the long-term follow-up study (HUGS LTS) in 2014. OBJECTIVES To compare participants' characteristics between baseline of HUGS Va and follow-up in LTS; and investigate the impacts of changes of participants' characteristics on annualized bleeding rates. METHODS We collected data on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Self-reported bleedings were obtained from periodic surveys for 2-years in HUGS Va, and a survey that asked bleedings in the past 6-month in HUGS LTS. Clotting factor dispensing records were collected prospectively for two years in HUGS Va, and retrospectively for six months prior to HUGS LTS enrollment. Annualized bleeding rates and factor dispensing (unit/kg body weight) were calculated. Adherence to factor treatment was determined by the ratio of dispensed clotting factor to clinical recommended factor usage. We classified age at baseline of HUGS Va into three groups: children (aged 2-11 years), adolescents (aged 12-20 years), and adults (aged ≥21 years). The characteristics of participants were compared among the three age groups using Chi-square tests for categorical variables and ANOVA for continuous variables for each study. Annualized factor dispensed and bleeding rates were compared between HUGS Va and HUGS LTS using paired T-tests. RESULTS A total of 74 persons participated in both HUGS Va and LTS with completed data to calculate annualized factor dispensed and bleeding rates were included to the analyses. The mean age was 17.8±11.4 years in HUGS Va, and 26.2±11.5 years in LTS, respectively. The sample had 43% of children, 22% adolescents, and 35% adults at baseline. All adolescents at baseline transitioned to young adults in LTS. Approximately 80% of participants were severe hemophilia. Adults (73%) were less likely to have an entire year of health insurance as compared to children (100%) or adolescents (93.8%, P0.05). The bleeding rates were not significantly different among age groups in LTS (P=0.06). CONCLUSIONS Although current literature indicated that PWH in transition from childhood to adulthood maybe at high risk of adverse health outcomes due to poor management of their condition with diminishing influence from parents, adolescents showed a significant increase in prophylactic treatment, adherence to factor treatment, and annualized factor dispensed, which may be associated with unchanged annualized bleed rates after they transitioned to adulthood in this study. Adults had a larger increase in dispensed factors than adolescents. Prophylaxis and adherence to clotting factor treatment were associated with a lower bleeding rate. Our current analyses reinforce the importance of prophylaxis and adherence to factor treatment for decreasing bleedings in persons with hemophilia A. Disclosures Nichol: Bayer: Research Funding; CSL Behring: Research Funding; Bioverativ: Research Funding; Shire/Baxter: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Novo Nordisk: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding. Curtis:Gilead: Honoraria; Pfizer: Research Funding; Novo Nordisk: Honoraria, Research Funding; Shire/Baxter: Research Funding; Bioverativ: Research Funding; National Hemophilia Foundation: Honoraria; CSL Behring: Research Funding; Bayer: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Genentech: Honoraria, Research Funding. Ding:Novo Nordisk: Employment; Bioverativ: Research Funding. Aliyev:Genentech: Research Funding. Lou:Bioverativ: Research Funding; Novo Nordisk: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Bayer: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; CSL Behring: Research Funding; Shire/Baxter: Research Funding. Ullman:Genentech: Research Funding. Tran:Bioverativ: Honoraria; Novo Nordisk: Honoraria; Bayer: Honoraria; Genentech: Research Funding. Baker:Genentech: Research Funding. Riske:Genentech: Research Funding. Wu:Pfizer: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Bioverativ: Research Funding; CSL Behring: Research Funding; Bayer: Research Funding; Shire/Baxter: Research Funding; Novo Nordisk: Research Funding.

Objective: We applied marginal structural models (MSMs) to estimate the effects of medication adherence with hypoglycemics on reducing the risk of microvascular complications in type 2 diabetic patients. Methods: A retrospective longitudinal cohort study for type 2 diabetes patients was conducted using the California Medicaid claims database (1995–2002). Medication adherence and multiple time-varying confounders were measured quarterly over a maximum of 7.5 years follow-up. Cox regression models and MSMs results on the effect of compliance were compared. Results: Of 4708 eligible patients, 2644 (56.2%) experienced microvascular complications during the follow-up period. After controlling for baseline covariates, standard Cox models estimated that adherence was associated with increased risk of complication with hazard ratio (HR) of 1.09 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00, 1.18). With adjustment of time-varying confounders as exogenous variables, the HR was 0.96 (0.88, 1.04). Using the MSM technique, the HR was 0.76 (95% bootstrap CI: 0.60, 0.92), indicating a significant benefit of medication adherence with hypoglycemics on the reduction of microvascular complications. This result contrasts with the negative results obtained in the hazard model, and is more consistent with prior clinical trial results Conclusion: Unlike conventional models, MSMs estimated that higher medication adherence may result in reduced risk of microvascular complications among patients with type 2 diabetes.

ObjectiveTo assess the psychometric properties of the Patient Reported Outcomes, Burdens and Experiences (PROBE) questionnaire.MethodsThis study was a cross-sectional, multinational study. Participants were enrolled if they were more than 10 years old and people with haemophilia A or B or people without a bleeding disorder. Participants were invited through non-governmental patient organisations in 21 countries between 01/27/2016 and 02/23/2017. The following psychometric properties: missing data, floor and ceiling effects, exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency reliability were examined. A PROBE Score was derived and assessed for its convergent and known groups validity.ResultsThe study analysed the data on 916 participants with median age of 37.0 (IQR 27.0 to 48.0) years, 74.8% male. In the domain assessing patient-reported outcomes (PROs), more than 15% of participants presented a ceiling effect for all items but two, and a floor effect for one item. Factor analysis identified three factors explaining the majority of the variance. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient indicated good internal consistency reliability (0.84). PROBE items showed moderate to strong correlations with corresponding EuroQol five dimension 5-level instrument (EQ-5D-5L) domains. The PROBE Score has a strong correlation (r=0.67) with EQ-5D-5L utility index score. The PROBE Score has a known groups validity among various groups.ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest that PROBE is a valid questionnaire for evaluating PROs in people with haemophilia as well as control population. The known-group property of PROBE will allow its use in future clinical trials, longitudinal studies, health technology assessment studies, routine clinical care or registries. Additional studies are needed to test responsiveness and sensitivity to change.Trial registration numberNCT02439710; Results.

Objective To assess and profile quality of care in California Medicaid beneficiaries with chronic conditions. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting California from 2002 to 2004. Patients 1,123,577 beneficiaries. Intervention Eligibility and claims data (2002–2004) were used to identify beneficiaries with dyslipidemia, hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), heart failure, or diabetes. Main outcome measures Quality of care was based on nonadherence with clinical practice guidelines including recommended medications. Chi-square was used to evaluate nonadherence and patient characteristics. Results The proportion of patients without a prescription fill for recommended medications varied by disease (43% hypertension, 40% dyslipidemia and CAD, and 25% diabetes and heart failure). For Medicaid-only beneficiaries with diabetes, 78% lacked glycosylated hemoglobin tests, 62% lacked low-density lipoprotein cholesterol tests, and 50% lacked eye exams. Medication nonadherence was high (69% hypertension, 64% CAD, 57% heart failure, 48% dyslipidemia, 41% diabetes). Overall, younger age, Medicaid-only status, and black/other race were associated with poorer rates. Conclusion Quality of care was suboptimal, with nonadherence varying by condition. Programs targeting both patients and providers and addressing patient-related characteristics (e.g., age, race) and policy reform addressing alterable factors (e.g., insurance eligibility) should be developed to improve guideline adherence.

Objective We sought to determine lifetime costs, morbidity, and mortality associated with varying adherence to antihypertensive and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statin) therapy in a hypertensive population. Methods A model was constructed to compare costs and outcomes under three adherence scenarios: no treatment, ideal adherence, and real-world adherence. Simulated patients' characteristics matched those of participants in the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial–Lipid-Lowering Arm and event probabilities were calculated with Framingham Heart Study risk equations. The real-world adherence scenario employed adherence data from an observational study of a US population; risk reductions at each level of adherence were based on linear extrapolations from clinical trials. Outputs included life expectancy, frequencies of primary and secondary coronary heart disease and stroke, and direct medical costs in 2006 US$. The incremental cost per life-year gained and incremental cost per event avoided were calculated comparing the three adherence scenarios. Results Mean life expectancy was 14.73 years (no-treatment scenario), 15.07 (real-world adherence), and 15.49 (ideal adherence). The average number of cardiovascular events per patients was 0.738 (no treatment), 0.610 (real-world adherence), and 0.441 (ideal adherence). The incremental cost of real-world adherence versus no treatment is $30,585 per life-year gained, and ideal adherence versus real-world adherence is $22,121 per life-year gained. Conclusions Hypertensive patients taking antihypertensive and statin therapy at real-world adherence levels can be expected to receive approximately 50% of the potential benefit seen in clinical trials. Depending on its cost, the incremental benefits of an effective adherence intervention program could make it an attractive value.

The study objective was to compare dose-equivalence, adherence and subsequent switch rates among patients recently switched from a branded to generic version of the same statin (generic substitution, GS) vs. those switched from branded statin to generic version of a different statin (therapeutic substitution, TS).In a retrospective cohort analysis among adult enrollees in over 90 US health plans, the authors identified adult patients who switched from a branded to generic statin from July-December 2006 (simvastatin became generic in June 2006). Patients were classified by type of statin switch: GS (e.g., branded simvastatin --generic simvastatin), and TS (e.g., branded atorvastatin --generic simvastatin). Demographic and clinical data were collected from claims before switch through 6 months follow-up. Separate outcomes of interest included proportion of patients that switched to a less potent daily dose, that switched back to previous branded statin after switch, and that were at least 80% adherent during the 6 months after initial switch. Significant predictors of each clinical outcome were identified using multivariable logistic regression models, adjusting for differences between groups in covariates and potential confounders.The 6-month TS (n = 3807) and GS (n = 40,165) groups were generally similar demographically. Compared to GS, TS patients were significantly more likely to be switched to a less potent dose (26.2% vs. 0.5%, adjusted odds ratio [AOR] in patients with high-potency index medication = 83.4, p0.0001); 33% less likely to be adherent in the 6 months after switch (67.7% vs. 75.9%, AOR in patients with no switch in first 6 months follow-up = 0.67, p0.0001); and four times more likely to switch back to previous branded statin (11.3% vs. 2.9%, AOR = 4.1, p0.0001).This study did not account for co-payment changes, lipid measurements, or changes in pill burden.While this study did not have data on why patients had TS (e.g., for cost or clinical reasons), TS was more likely to involve a subsequent disruption to statin therapy than GS. TS could potentially lead to adverse impacts on patients' outcomes, and should be studied further.

Objective To determine clinically meaningful changes (CMCs) for the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Prostate (FACT–P). Methods We obtained data from a Phase III trial of atrasentan in metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer patients (n = 809). We determined anchor-based differences using Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS), bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP), hemoglobin, time to disease progression (TTP), adverse events (AE), and survival. One-third and one-half standard deviation and standard error of measurement (SEM) were used as distribution-based criteria for CMCs. Comparison across baseline FACT–P domains and derived scales [FACT–P total score, Trial Outcome Index (TOI) score, prostate cancer subscale (PCS) score, pain-related score, and FACT Advanced Prostate Symptom Index (FAPSI)] were conducted for KPS, BAP, and hemoglobin using Student's t tests. Twelve-week change scores were compared for TTP, AE, and survival using ANCOVA. Results CMCs were estimated as 6 to 10 for FACT–P total score, 5 to 9 for FACT–P TOI score, 2 to 3 for FACT–P PCS, 1 to 2 for the 4 PCS pain-related questions, and 2 to 3 for FAPSI. CMCs were also estimated using distribution-based criteria. Kappa statistics were computed to determine the degree of correspondence between the recommended guideline of 1.0 SEM and empirically derived standards. Most of the kappas for health-related quality of life domains and SEM standards had "substantial" to "almost perfect" concordance. Conclusions The significant relationship between clinical and quality of life data provides support for the use of CMCs to increase interpretability of FACT–P scores.

To estimate the minimum important difference (MID) for a variety of mapped utility measures and to determine whether patients perceiving gains and losses in health status should be treated equally when calculating the MID. A longitudinal study within a California managed care population of 6,932 patients was retrospectively analyzed. Utilities were derived from the SF-36 short-form health survey using multiple validated mapping methods. Absolute utility changes for patients who considered their current health as ‘somewhat better’ or ‘somewhat worse’ in the prior year were compared to determine if gains and losses in utility values could be combined. The MIDs were calculated and compared using anchor- and distribution-based methods. Two thousand one hundred patients reported ‘somewhat better’ or ‘somewhat worse’ health in the first year. When combining these patients, the average MID for all mapped utility measures was 0.03 (SD = 0.1), a magnitude similar to that identified by Walters. However, when separated, the mean MID utility change for those reporting ‘somewhat better’ and ‘somewhat worse’ health was 0.02 (SD = 0.1) and −0.06 (SD = 0.1), respectively (P

Bimal V Patel1, R Scott Leslie1, Patrick Thiebaud1, Michael B Nichol2, Simon SK Tang3, Henry Solomon3, Dennis Honda3, JoAnne M Foody41MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA (Patrick Thiebaud was an employee of MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Inc. at the time the study was conducted; he is currently employed by Pfizer Health Solutions); 2University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; 3Pfizer Inc, New York, NY, USA; 4Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA (JoAnne Foody was affiliated with Yale University at the time the study was conducted; she is currently affiliated with Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA)Abstract: While clinical trials demonstrate the benefits of blood pressure and cholesterol reduction, medication adherence in clinical practice is problematic. We hypothesized that a single-pill would be superior to a 2-pill regimen for achieving adherence. In this retrospective, cohort study based on pharmacy claims data, patients newly initiated on a calcium channel blocker (CCB) or statin simultaneously or within 30 days, regardless of sequence, were followed (N = 4703). Adherence was measured over 6 months as proportion of days covered (PDC). At baseline, mean age was 63.0 years, 51.6% were female, and mean number of other medications was 7.8. Overall, 16.9% of patients were on single-pill amlodipine/atorvastatin, 15.6% amlodipine + atorvastatin, 24.7% amlodipine + other statin, 13.9% other CCB + atorvastatin, 28.9% other CCB + other statin. Percentages of patients achieving adherence (PDC ≥ 80%) were: 67.7% amlodipine/atorva statin; 49.9% amlodipine + atorvastatin; 40.4% amlodipine + other statin; 46.9% other CCB + atorvastatin; 37.4% other CCB + other statin. After adjusting for treatment selection and cohort differences, odds ratios for adherence with amlodipine/atorvastatin were 1.95 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.80–2.13) vs amlodipine + atorvastatin, 3.10 (95% CI, 2.85–3.38) vs amlodipine + other statin, 2.06 (95% CI, 1.89–2.24) vs other CCB + atorvastatin, 2.85 (95% CI, 2.61–3.10) vs other CCB + other statin (all p < 0.0001). Single-pill amlodipine/atorvastatin may provide clinical benefits through improving adherence, offering clinicians a practical solution for cardiovascular risk management.Keywords: amlodipine besylate, atorvastatin calcium, adherence, persistence

Background. This study documents the direct medical costs associated with treating oral and pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) as early- or late-stage disease according to the current standard of care. Methods. This retrospective analysis of California Medicaid claims data calculated direct payments for patients diagnosed with OSCC. Patients were defined as being treated for early- or late-stage disease based on treatment modality. Regression determined significant predictors of year-1 cost of care following diagnosis. Results. Median year-1 cost of care following initial diagnosis was $25,319 for the 229 patients identified. Regression results determined that treatment modality and medical comorbidities were significant in predicting costs (p < .05). Costs for patients treated as having early-stage OSCC were approximately 36% less than for those treated as having late-stage disease (p = .002). Conclusion. Treatment for OSCC is a significant cost from Medicaid's perspective, and these data suggest early detection may ease its economic burden. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2008