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Treatment patterns and healthcare resource utilization and costs in heavy menstrual bleeding: a Japanese claims
Sayako Akiyama1, Erika Tanaka1, Olivier Cristeau2
1a Market Access , Bayer Yakuhin, Ltd , Chiyoda-ku , Tokyo , Japan.
Insights
Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) treatment is often insufficient, leading to significantly higher healthcare costs for affected women in Japan. This study highlights the need for improved management strategies for HMB.
Area of Science:
- Gynecology
- Health Economics
- Pharmacoeconomics
Background:
- Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is a common gynecological condition impacting daily life.
- Understanding treatment patterns and associated costs is crucial for healthcare management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate treatment patterns for HMB in Japan.
- To assess healthcare resource utilization and costs in women newly diagnosed with HMB.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of health insurance data from the Japan Medical Data Center (JMDC).
- Inclusion of women aged 18-49 years newly diagnosed with primary or secondary HMB.
- Comparison of treatment patterns, healthcare utilization, and costs against matched controls.
Main Results:
- 635 patients analyzed (210 primary HMB, 425 secondary HMB).
- Treatment uptake was 60.0% for primary HMB and 76.2% for secondary HMB.
- Commonly prescribed treatments included hemostatic agents, TCM, and LEPs.
- Healthcare costs were significantly higher for HMB patients (1.93x for primary, 4.44x for secondary) vs. controls, driven by outpatient care.
Conclusions:
- A significant portion of HMB patients did not receive guideline-recommended treatments.
- HMB diagnosis is associated with substantially increased healthcare expenditures.
- Limitations include the retrospective design and reliance on reimbursed medication data.
Aims:
Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is a highly prevalent condition, characterized by excessive menstrual blood loss and cramping, that interferes with activities of daily life. The aim of this study was to investigate treatment patterns in HMB in Japan, and to assess healthcare resource utilization and costs among women newly-diagnosed with the condition.
Materials And Methods:
This study retrospectively analyzed health insurance data available in the Japan Medical Data Center (JMDC) database on women aged 18-49 years who were newly-diagnosed with primary or secondary HMB. Treatment patterns were analyzed, and healthcare utilization and costs were evaluated and compared to matched controls.
Results:
The study included a total of 635 patients, 210 with primary HMB and 425 with secondary HMB. In the primary HMB cohort, 60.0% of patients received one or more pharmacological or surgical treatments, compared with 76.2% in the secondary HMB cohort. The most commonly prescribed medications in all patients were hemostatic agents (28.7%), traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) (12.1%), and low-dose estrogen progestins (LEPs) (10.1%). After adjustment for patient baseline characteristics, healthcare costs were 1.93-times higher in primary HMB cases (p < .0001) and 4.44-times higher in secondary HMB cases (p < .0001) vs healthy controls. Outpatient care was the main cost driver.
Limitations:
The main limitations of this study are related to its retrospective nature, and the fact that only reimbursed medications were captured in the source database.
Conclusions:
A substantial proportion of HMB patients did not receive the recommended treatments. Healthcare costs were considerably increased in the presence of an HMB diagnosis.
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