An exploratory analysis of healthcare costs and utilization of pediatric patients with Crohn's disease.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the healthcare costs and resource utilization associated with pediatric Crohn's disease (PCD) from a payer perspective.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis was conducted using claims from 1 January 2003 through 31 December 2006 from the HealthCare Partners database. Patients were younger than 18 years of age, had a new diagnosis of PCD, and continuous health plan eligibility 6 months before and 12 months after the disease index date (the date of the first claim with a PCD diagnosis). For comparison, a non-PCD cohort was matched on age, sex, and birthday (within 30 days).


RESULTS
Data from 30 patients with PCD and 10,864 non-PCD controls were included. The total cost per member per month (PMPM) for the PCD cohort was $2,547 compared with $101 for the non-PCD cohort. Inpatient admissions accounted for the largest portion (54%) of the total cost PMPM for PCD patients. There were 500 admissions per thousand members per year (PTMPY) for the PCD cohort and 11 admissions PTMPY for the non-PCD cohort. The average lengths of stay were 7.6 and 4.4 days for the PCD cohort and the non-PCD cohort, respectively, and the inpatient costs PMPM were $1,409 and $18, respectively. Costs and resource utilization were also higher for PCD patients treated with systemic therapies.


CONCLUSIONS
PCD was associated with higher costs and resource utilization, compared with non-PCD controls, primarily driven by inpatient stays. Treating PCD appropriately before the disease progresses to a level requiring hospitalization may help reduce the costs associated with this disease.
Waters
Heidi C
HC
Centocor Ortho Biotech Services, LLC, 800 Ridgeview Drive, Horsham, PA 19044, USA. hwaters@its.jnj.com
Hilliard
Rhadjena P
RP
Teng
Elton
E
Rahman
Mirza I
MI
Ferrer
Ron
R
Pulicharam
Juvairiya
J
Nejadnik
Bijan
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000191:economics; D002140:California; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy; D019992:Databases as Topic; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000191:economics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome