Achieving Disease Control in PsA, AS Associated with Lower Medical Costs

Patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) or ankylosing spondylitis (AS) with lower levels of disease activity had less health care resource use and lower costs over a year, according to a study published in Rheumatology and Therapy.

“A key takeaway from this study is that, during the year after achieving disease control, patients had consistently lower medical costs compared to those who did not achieve disease control,” wrote corresponding author Christopher D. Saffore, of AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois, and study coauthors.

The study included 1235 patients with PsA, among whom 217 had achieved disease control, and 581 patients with AS, among whom 342 had achieved disease control. Researchers followed patients for 1 year. Adjusted odds ratios for an inpatient visit were 3.0 for patients with PsA without disease control and 7.7 for patients with AS without disease control compared with those with disease control, according to the study.

Adjusted odds ratios for an emergency department visit were 1.6 for patients with PsA without disease control and 3.5 for patients with AS without disease control.

Mean per-person-per-year costs were also greater among patients without disease control. Inpatient costs were $1550 without disease control and $443 with disease control in patients with PsA, and $2692 without and $897 with disease control in patients with AS. Outpatient costs were $1789 without and $1327 with disease control in patients with PsA, and $2498 without and $2023 with disease control in patients with AS. Emergency department costs were $114 without and $57 with disease control in patients with PsA, and $316 without and $50 with disease control in patients with AS.

“Highlighting these clinical and economic benefits of achieving disease control in PsA and AS may be of significant benefit in improving patient outcomes, including nonpharmacy health care costs and hospitalizations,” researchers wrote.

Reference

Bergman MJ, Zueger P, Patel J, et al. Clinical and economic benefit of achieving disease control in psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis: a retrospective analysis from the OM1 Registry. Rheumatol Ther. 2023;10(1):187-199. doi:10.1007/s40744-022-00504-2