title: Healthcare resource utilization during 1-year treatment with long-acting, injectable risperidone.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Schizophrenia is associated with disproportionately high costs, mainly due to hospitalization rates. This study assessed healthcare resource use in patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder during treatment with long-acting risperidone.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (n = 397 [inpatients, 24%; outpatients, 76%]) receiving stable doses of an antipsychotic for >or=4 weeks were eligible to enter this 1-year, open-label study. Following a 2-week run-in period (oral risperidone 1-6 mg/day), patients received intramuscular long-acting risperidone (25 or 50 mg modal dose) every 2 weeks. Healthcare resource use in the previous 12 weeks was assessed at baseline and 12-weekly intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients needing hospitalization decreased significantly and continuously from 38% during the 12 weeks before study entry to 12% during the last 12 weeks. Mean hospitalization length during the study was 30.5 days (outpatients, 4.9 days; inpatients, 110 days). This included 28 patients (7%) who remained in hospital throughout the study. During treatment, 71% of those hospitalized at baseline were discharged. Partial hospitalization decreased significantly from 7% of patients during the 12 weeks before treatment to 3% during the last 12 weeks. Outpatient consultations also decreased significantly from 70% of patients to 30% in the first 12 weeks of treatment and remained stable thereafter. Only 9% of patients required an emergency room visit; mostly for non-psychiatric conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Healthcare resource use is significantly reduced in patients with stable schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder receiving long-acting risperidone. It is highly likely that these reductions will decrease healthcare costs in patients receiving long-acting risperidone.
authors.affiliation: SGS-Biopharma, B-1301 Wavre, Belgium.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rosillon
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mehnert
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jarema
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Remington
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018967:Risperidone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D018967:Risperidone