The Hemophilia Utilization Group Study (HUGS): determinants of costs of care in persons with haemophilia A.
OBJECTIVE
The main objective of this study was to examine factors associated with utilization and costs for persons with haemophilia.


METHODS
Utilization data and patient characteristics were collected through medical record review of 336 patients receiving treatment for at least 90% of their haemophilia care at one of five comprehensive haemophilia treatment centres in California.


RESULTS
The range of factor VIII deficiency in our sample was similar to the distribution among haemophilic patients in the Western United States; 215 (64%) had severe FVIII deficiency. The mean age in our sample was 21.4 (SD = 16.2) years old and 114 (34%) were HIV-positive. In the multivariate model predicting the total cost of health care during 1995 (adjusted R2 = 0.40), total annual costs were significantly (P < 0.05) associated with being HIV-seropositive, infusing FVIII concentrate through a port vs. i.v. infusion, the number of comorbidities, moderate arthropathy (compared with no arthropathy), mild arthropathy, history of inhibitor to FVIII, and current prophylactic FVIII concentrate infusion.


CONCLUSIONS
As expected, total health-care costs were correlated with comorbid medical conditions, such as HIV and sequelae of haemophilia such as arthropathy. Health policy should consider risk adjustment for the presence of complications such as arthropathy and HIV infection in the financing of haemophilia treatment to promote more equitable delivery of these services.
Globe
D R
DR
Department of Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA. globe@usc.edu
Cunningham
W E
WE
Andersen
R
R
Dietrich
S L
SL
Curtis
R G
RG
Parish
K L
KL
Miller
R T
RT
Sanders
N L
NL
Kominski
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001168:Arthritis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis