Pms17 Evaluating the Association Between Serum Uric Acid Level and Health Care Costs in Patients With Gout

Abstract

tient visit for 12 months. Annual average visit days of outpatients were 37. Annual overall costs per patient were 13.4 million Korean won (KRW), of which 10.5 million KRW (78.6%) was drug costs because of costly TNF antagonist. Inspection cost came next with 5.6% of the total costs, followed by hospitalization cost (4.6%), operation cost (4.0%), and doctor's fee (3.2%). Mean out-of-pocket expenditure was 3.7 million KRW, 27.1% of the overall costs. As age increased, so did the total costs. Male, medical aid, and patients with hospitalization or surgery were associated with significantly higher costs than female, health insurance, and inexperienced patients of hospitalization or surgery respectively(pϽ0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Direct medical costs per capita of RA patients receiving TNF antagonist in Korea were 13.4 million KRW. The economic burden of RA patients is strongly influenced by TNF antagonist. OBJECTIVES:To describe the association between serum uric acid (sUA) levels and gout-related healthcare utilization and costs. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted using a database from a regional managed care organization. Patients with primary gout were included in the study if they met the following criteria between 2006 and 2007: (1) age Ն18; (2) Ն1 diagnosis of gout (ICD-9-CM 274.xx), or Ն1 prescription gout-related medications (colchicine, allopurinol, probenecid); (3) 12 months continuous eligibility pre-and post-either the first gout diagnosis or first pharmacy claim date (index date). Patients with cancer diagnoses were excluded. Patients were classified into three sUA levels based on the measurement taken on the date closest to the index date: Ͻ6.0 mg/dL, 6.0-8.99 mg/dL, and Ն9.0 mg/dL. Healthcare costs in the12 months post index period were compared across the three sUA levels using Kruskal-Wallis tests. RESULTS: A total of 1,622 patients were identified; 374 (23.0%) had an sUA Ͻ6.0 mg/dL, 788 (48.0%) had an sUA of 6.0-8.99 mg/dL, and 470 (29.0%) had an sUA Ն9.0 mg/dL. The mean gout-related healthcare costs were $217(standard deviation [SD] $631), $426 (SD $4330), and $647(SD $4274) for patients with sUA Ͻ6.0 mg/dL, 6.0-8.99 mg/dL, and Ն9.0 mg/dL, respectively (pϽ0.0001). Statistically significant differences were also detected in the gout-related outpatient costs, gout-related emergency department costs, and gout-related prescription costs among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that there is a positive association between sUA levels and gout-related healthcare utilization and costs. Lowering and maintaining sUA levels Ͻ6 mg/dL may lead to lower gout-related healthcare costs and decrease goutrelated utilization of services. Further study is warranted.