High levels of medical utilization by ambulatory patients with vocal cord dysfunction as compared to age- and gender-matched asthmatics.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate medical utilization by ambulatory patients with vocal cord dysfunction (VCD).


METHODS
Retrospective, case-control study.


METHODS
Pulmonary disease clinic at an army tertiary-care center.


METHODS
Twenty-five ambulatory patients with VCD (mean age, 41 years; range, 27 to 69 years) who were age- (+/- 3 years) and gender-matched to 25 control patients with moderate persistent asthma.


RESULTS
Medical utilization for the year preceding the diagnosis of VCD or asthma was obtained from a computerized medical record. End points included total outpatient visits, evaluations by subspecialty physicians, presentations for urgent care, hospitalizations, and number of prescriptions. Total physician visits (477 visits vs 267 visits, respectively; p < 0.004) and subspecialty care visits (277 visits vs 118 visits; p < 0.007) were significantly greater among the VCD cohort as compared with the asthmatic cohort. The groups were also found to have comparable utilization of prescriptions (448 prescriptions vs 394 prescriptions, respectively; p < 0.63), frequency of hospitalizations (seven hospitalizations vs five hospitalizations; p < 0.59), and urgent care visits (45 visits vs 20 visits; p < 0.14).


CONCLUSIONS
Ambulatory VCD patients use significantly more medical provider resources and similar pharmaceutical assets as compared to patients with moderate persistent asthma.
Mikita
Jeffrey
J
Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Pulmonary Disease Services, 6900 Georgia Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20307, USA. jeffrey.a.mikita@us.army.mil
Parker
Joseph
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000628:therapy; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007818:Laryngeal Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000503:physiopathology*