Disease-specific cost savings of treating nighttime versus daytime gastroesophageal reflux disease in an employed population.
OBJECTIVE
The extent to which proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can offset direct medical costs by reducing symptoms related to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in order to improve work productivity is not well understood. This study aimed to evaluate the economic impact of treating GERD with PPIs versus no treatment, from an employer's perspective.


METHODS
An economic model was developed to simulate symptom reduction and breakthrough symptoms as well as associated costs over 1 year among a population of 100,000 with a 20% GERD prevalence rate. Medical costs, including GERD-related office visits, hospitalisations and procedures, were delineated by symptom severity. Indirect costs represented the monetised work productivity loss. PPI treatment costs $2/day (standard dose).


RESULTS
The GERD burden was substantial ($62,500,000). Treatment yielded $32,600,000 in savings ($1,630 saved/patient/year), mostly from reducing indirect costs. Treatment produced greater savings among nighttime GERD patients throughout the PPI cost range ($1-$5/day). Savings dropped if the price of standard doses of PPI exceeded $3.92/day for the treatment of daytime GERD patients.
Doan
Quan V
QV
Cerner LifeSciences, Beverly Hills, CA, USA. qdoan@cerner.com
Lange
Stephen M
SM
Elfant
Adam
A
Aguilar
Daniel
D
Reyes
Eileen
E
Lynn
Richard B
RB
Dubois
Robert W
RW
D017046:Cost Savings / Q000191:economics*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004526:Efficiency; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics*; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006296:Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D017059:Models, Econometric; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States
D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors