title: Resource utilization and direct medical costs in adult systemic lupus erythematosus patients from a commercially insured population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to estimate annual health care resource use and medical costs associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a large US managed care health plan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects at least 18 years of age and with claims-based evidence of SLE (ICD-9-CM 710.0x) were identified from a health plan database. Subjects were matched on the basis of demographic and clinical characteristics to unaffected controls. Resource use and costs were determined during a fixed 12-month period. A generalized linear model (GLM) was used to adjust costs for demographic and clinical characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 1278 newly diagnosed SLE subjects were matched to 3834 controls, and 10,152 subjects with existing SLE were matched to 30,456 controls. Health care resource use was significantly higher among SLE subjects than matched controls, including average annual numbers of ambulatory visits, specialist visits, and inpatient hospital stays (all p < 0.001). SLE subjects had significantly higher overall mean annual medical costs than matched controls (newly diagnosed: $19,178 vs. $4909; existing: $15,487 vs. $5156; both p < 0.001). Evidence of specific organ involvement including renal failure and central nervous system complications, were each associated with increased costs (both p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subjects with SLE have high resource use and medical costs relative to controls.
authors: University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
authors: D E
authors: DE
authors: Furst
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Clarke
authors: A W
authors: AW
authors: Fernandes
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Bancroft
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Gajria
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Greth
authors: S R
authors: SR
authors: Iorga
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007345:Insurance Claim Review; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000191:economics*; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000191:economics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult