title: Household members of persons with Alzheimer's disease: health conditions, healthcare resource use, and healthcare costs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare medical condition burden, healthcare resource use, and healthcare costs of household members (HHMs) of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD) with those of HHMs of matched individuals without AD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study based on administrative claims data collected between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) plan.
  
  
  METHODS
  MAPD plan members with a diagnosis of AD (International Classification of Disease Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, code 331.0) were selected and linked to a HHM to form patient-HHM dyads. AD dyads were matched to non-AD dyads.
  
  
  METHODS
  Health-related endpoints, including medical condition burden, healthcare resource use, and direct healthcare costs, were measured during 36 months of continuous health plan enrollment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals with AD (n = 1,861) were linked to HHMs (n = 1,861), and these AD dyads were matched to 1,861 non-AD patient-HHM dyads. AD HHMs had greater medical condition burden scores than non-AD HHMs, with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, insomnia, substance abuse or dependence, cardiovascular disease, and rheumatoid arthritis being more prevalent in AD HHMs. Emergency department and outpatient service use were more common in AD HHMs than in non-AD HHMs, and AD HHMs had greater healthcare costs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HHMs of individuals diagnosed with AD demonstrated greater medical condition burden, healthcare resource use, and direct healthcare costs than non-AD HHMs. These findings demonstrate the significant clinical and financial impact of AD on HHMs of individuals with AD.
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Health Insights, Inc., Louisville, Kentucky.
authors.forename: Brandon T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Suehs
authors.forename: Sonali N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Cralen D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alvir
authors.forename: Warachal E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Faison
authors.forename: Nick C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van Amerongen
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bobula
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000191:economics*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006295:Health Resources / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007345:Insurance Claim Review / Q000191:economics*; D008297:Male; D020398:Medicare Part C / Q000191:economics*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; caregivers; healthcare costs; healthcare resource use; household members