Healthcare Utilization and Costs After Appropriate or Inappropriate Implantable Defibrillator Shocks: A Retrospective...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Health Economics
• Medical Device Technology

Background:

• Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillators (CRT-Ds) are crucial for preventing sudden cardiac death.
• Limited data exists on healthcare utilization and costs following ICD/CRT-D shock events specifically within Japan.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze real-world data on healthcare utilization and costs associated with ICD/CRT-D shock events in Japan.
• To provide insights into the economic impact of these events in the Japanese healthcare system.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of real-world data from four tertiary hospitals in Japan (January 2022 - June 2024).
• Inclusion of adult patients with ICD/CRT-D implants, focusing on those experiencing shock events.
• Examination of hospitalization rates, duration of stay, and associated healthcare costs.

Main Results:

• Out of 1,807 patients, 84 experienced 146 ICD/CRT-D shock events (4.6%); 33 patients had multiple episodes.
• Appropriate shocks (83.6%) were linked to significantly longer hospital stays and higher costs compared to inappropriate shocks (16.4%).
• Hospitalization was required in 37.7% of shock cases.

Conclusions:

• ICD/CRT-D shock events in Japan incur substantial healthcare utilization and costs, particularly appropriate shocks.
• Findings underscore the need for optimized management strategies to improve patient care and resource allocation in Japan.
• This study highlights the importance of real-world data in understanding the economic burden of cardiac device therapies.