Objective
To examine how age, gender, comorbidity, geography, provider type, and laryngeal pathology influence the use of pharmacological treatment in managing patients with laryngeal disorders.
Study Design
Retrospective analysis of data from a large, nationally representative administrative U.S. claims database.
Methods
Patients with a laryngeal disorder based on ICD-9-CM codes from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2008, seen as an outpatient by a primary care physician (PCP), otolaryngologist, or both, and continuously enrolled for 12 months were included. Data regarding pharmacy claims, age, gender, geographic location, comorbid conditions, provider type, and laryngeal diagnosis were collected. To identify factors that influenced whether a patient received a medication or not, a logistic regression was performed.
Results
Of almost 55 million individuals in the database, 258,705 had a laryngeal diagnosis, 12 months post-index date follow-up, and an outpatient encounter with a PCP, otolaryngologist, or both. 135,973 (52.6%) unique patients, mean age 47.4 years (22.2 SD) with 61.9% female, received a medication, and 122,732 (47.4%), mean age 47.4 (19.8 SD) with 65.8% female, did not. Higher odds ratios (ORs) for medication treatment were associated with PCPs versus otolaryngologists, acute laryngitis, the south region, and patients with comorbid conditions. Variable prescription patterns were also observed for age and gender.
Conclusion
Multiple factors are associated with the use of medical treatment for laryngeal disorders.