The cost-effectiveness of surgical versus conservative medical management of vertebral compression fractures in the US was analyzed in the context of inpatient versus outpatient treatment. Surgical intervention (balloon kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty) was found to be cost-effective relative to conservative medical management at a US willingness-to-pay threshold. Introduction To date, only one published study has evaluated the cost-effectiveness (C/E) of balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) or vertebroplasty (VP) in US Medicare patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. This study further evaluates the C/E of surgical treatment vs. conservative medical management (CMM), expanding on prior modeling by accounting for qualityadjusted life-years gained. Methods A Markov microsimulation model of 1000 patients was constructed. Cost data were based on an analysis of Medicare claims payments, with propensity-score matching performed for BKP and VP vs. controls (CMM). Mortality inputs were based on US life tables, modified to account for age at initial fracture, presence of subsequent fracture(s), and relative risk of mortality by treatment. Separate incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated for BKP and VP in inpatient and outpatient surgical treatment locations to account for individual clinical profiles presenting to each. Results The discounted ICER for inpatient BKP vs.

Background Few studies have evaluated patterns of systemic opioid use among patients initiating spinal cord stimulation therapy for chronic pain. This study evaluated systemic opioid discontinuation and/or dose reduction, and total healthcare cost following start of spinal cord stimulation therapy. Methods Using a commercial insurance claims database (2008-2017), we analyzed opioid utilization patterns in patients initiating spinal cord stimulation therapy, over a 1-year baseline and 2 year follow-up. The primary endpoint was defined as either discontinuation (= 365-day gap between prescription fills or total days' supply in follow-up = 30 days) OR = 50% reduction in average daily morphine milligram equivalent dose. “Costs” were defined as total payer plus patient out-of-pocket payments. Results 5,878 patients met selection criteria. 152 (2.6%) showed no opioid prescription data at any point in the study period. Among patients with one or more prescriptions, 42.0% met the primary endpoint (22.0% discontinued and 20.0% reduced their dose by 50% or more). Mean total adjusted costs were significantly reduced in years 1 and 2 of follow-up relative to baseline (excluding device insertion costs). The average time to breakeven when accounting for device trial and permanent insertion cost was 3.1 years among those that met the composite endpoint and 4.2 years among those who did not. Conclusions This analysis shows that among patients who continue spinal cord stimulation therapy for at least two years, a significant proportion were able to reduce and/or discontinue systemic opioid use, with costs following start of therapy significantly reduced relative to baseline.

Objective: The study evaluated systemic opioid utilization before and after initiation of intrathecal drug therapy in patients with chronic, noncancer pain, as well as the effect of opioid elimination on payer costs. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort analysis of administrative claims data (2011-2016), evaluating patients using systemic opioids for chronic, noncancer pain, newly implanted with an intrathecal drug-delivery system. Patients were excluded for spasticity, cancer, and device explant. The primary outcome was reduction or discontinuation of systemic morphine milligram equivalents during a 395-day follow-up period. The secondary outcome was total commercial insurer payments. Results: Of 9223 total patients, 631 met selection criteria. From baseline to 395-day follow-up, average daily morphine milligram equivalents decreased in 81.5% of patients, and 43.3% discontinued systemic opioid therapy entirely. Among patients who continued systemic opioids, average daily morphine milligram equivalents decreased in 74.9% of patients. Logistic regression found that morphine milligram equivalents of <50 mg/day prior to initiation of intrathecal drug delivery was associated with two times the odds of discontinuation vs. ≥90 mg/day (odds ratio = 2.08, 95% confidence interval 1.42-3.02, p = 0.001). Mean annual payer costs were reduced 29% for patients who discontinued vs. continued systemic opioids (−$11,115 per patient). Conclusions: A meaningful proportion of patients discontinue or decrease systemic opioid use following initiation of intrathecal drug delivery. Standard of care should include opioid dose tapering prior to intrathecal drug delivery to maximize the probability of systemic opioid discontinuation.

Introduction The use of endovascular treatments, including Pipeline embolization devices (PEDs) and coiling approaches (non-PEDs), has played an increasingly important role in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. Despite multiple studies evaluating PEDs, a real-world evaluation of follow-up outcomes and costs remains to be completed. Methods The Premier Healthcare Database (PHD), 2010-2017, was queried to identify patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms treated endovascularly. Rates of readmission, retreatment, and cost at the same hospital were compared between patients who underwent PED and non-PED endovascular treatments of their aneurysms. One-to-three (PED-to-non-PED) propensity score (PS) matching was performed to adjust for potential case selection bias into the PED cohort, with covariates including age group, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) group, payor, region, and randomized hospital identifier. Results A total of 679 patients underwent PED placement and 8432 had non-PED treatments. Prior to PS matching, there were significant but minor differences in age (56.7±12.8 vs. 58.2±12.6 years, p = 0.004) and sex (male 16.6% vs. 24.4%, p<0.0001) for PED and non-PED, respectively, but no differences in CCI (p = 0.08), length of stay (p = 0.88), or rate of routine discharge (p = 0.21). All-cause readmission/emergency department reevaluation rates in the two cohorts were similar at 30, 90, and 180 days and 1 and 2 years. Our results identified a significantly lower retreatment rate for PEDs at all follow-up time points over a 2-year period

No abstract