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DNBS/TNBS Colitis Models: Providing Insights Into Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Effects of Dietary Fat
Published on: February 27, 2014
Health Care Cost for Children Newly Diagnosed With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Andrew W Fondell1, Maua H Mosha1, Cliff R Frank2
1Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Hartford, CT, USA.
Insights
First-year healthcare costs for pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are substantial, driven significantly by infusion therapies. Understanding these costs helps in managing financial burdens for children with IBD.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Health Economics
- Clinical Pediatrics
Background:
- Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) incidence and severity are increasing.
- This trend raises concerns about associated healthcare expenditures in children.
- There is a need to understand the financial impact of pediatric IBD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify and characterize the healthcare costs incurred in the first year after diagnosis for pediatric IBD patients.
- To analyze cost drivers and distribution based on disease type and treatment modalities.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 67 pediatric IBD patients diagnosed in 2016 with at least one year of follow-up.
- Inclusion of clinical and demographic data at diagnosis.
- Examination of paid service and professional costs for medications, infusions, procedures, imaging, inpatient services, and outpatient visits, sourced from private and public payers.
Main Results:
- The mean first-year cost for pediatric IBD was $45,753, with significant variation based on disease type and severity.
- Patients receiving infusion therapy incurred higher costs ($59,376) compared to those who did not ($27,903).
- Infusion costs (37%) and hospital costs (25%) were the largest components of the overall first-year expenditure.
Conclusions:
- Infusion therapy is a primary driver of first-year healthcare costs for newly diagnosed pediatric IBD patients.
- Understanding cost distribution relative to disease presentation is crucial for anticipating future financial needs.
- This data can inform healthcare resource allocation and financial planning for pediatric IBD management.
Background:
The increasing incidence of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), along with more extensive and severe disease in children, raises concern for related health care expenditures.
Aim:
The aim of this study was to quantify and characterize costs of pediatric IBD in the year following diagnosis.
Methods:
We identified all patients diagnosed with IBD at Connecticut Children's Medical Center in 2016 with a minimum of 1 year follow-up. Clinical and demographic factors were recorded at diagnosis. We examined paid service and professional costs related to outpatient medications and infusions, outpatient procedures and radiology imaging, inpatient services, and outpatient visits. Actual dollar reimbursements were from private and public payers. Data is reported as mean ± SD and median (IQR).
Results:
First-year cost data were collected on 67 patients (43 Crohn's disease [CD], 24 ulcerative colitis [UC], mean age 13 years [SD 3.22]) revealing a mean cost of $45,753 (SD $37,938), with $43,095 (SD $30,828) for CD and $50,516 (SD $48,557) for UC. Severe CD (n = 11) had a mean cost of $71,176 (SD $43,817) and severe UC (n = 5) $134,178 (SD $40,920). Patients receiving infusion therapy had a mean cost of $59,376 (SD $38,724) compared with $27,903 (SD $28,795) for those not receiving infusions. Overall cost distribution showed 37% from infusion costs, 25% hospital costs, 18% outpatient procedures, 10% outpatient oral medications, 7% outpatient imaging, and 3% outpatient visits.
Conclusions:
Infusion therapy is a key driver of first-year costs for children newly diagnosed with IBD. Understanding cost distribution in relation to disease presentation can be helpful to anticipate future related costs.
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