Abstract Recap: Trends in Costs and Healthcare Utilization Among Patients With Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis

Background

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that is mediated by immune system dysfunction. Some patients with psoriasis also have psoriatic arthritis, which affects the joints and is characterized by joint pain, stiffness, and swelling.¹

Objective

This retrospective study was conducted to evaluate trends in costs incurred by patients with psoriasis and compare these costs with those incurred by patients who have both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.²

Methods

Investigators analyzed Optum’s electronic health records and integrated claims data from January 2007 to March 2018. Each patient with psoriasis was matched with a patient who had both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis based on characteristics that included age, gender, race, region, plan type, and comorbidities. Patients were also matched based on the number of healthcare resource use (HRU) claims and total costs at baseline. Using medical and pharmacy claims data, HRU and costs were analyzed for up to 5 years. Diagnosis codes for psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis were used to classify medical costs as disease related. Pharmacy costs were classified as disease related if the claims were for drug products indicated for psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis.²

Results

The analysis identified 18,515 patients with psoriasis and 4430 with both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis; using these data, investigators generated 3584 matched pairs.² Compared with patients with psoriasis only, matched patients with both conditions had significantly higher costs and HRU (P <.05), as shown in the Table.² Among patients with both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, outpatient costs made up 32% of total disease-related costs, whereas outpatient costs made up 17% of total costs for patients with psoriasis alone. Compared with patients with psoriasis only, outpatient costs were more than 6 times higher and pharmacy costs were 2.5 times higher among those with both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (P <.05 for both comparisons).²

Conclusions

The results of this study provide up-to-date estimates for costs and HRU over a 5-year time frame and demonstrate that patients with both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis incur greater costs and have higher HRU compared with those who have psoriasis alone.²

References

1. Psoriatic arthritis. Mayo Clinic website. mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/psoriatic-arthritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354076. Accessed November 6, 2019.

2. Prince P, Skornicki M, Suruki R, Lee E, Louder A. Economic burden of concomitant joint disease in psoriasis: a U.S.-linked claims and electronic medical records database analysis [abstract L7]. J Manag Care Spec Pharm. 2019;25(suppl 10-a):S76. doi: 10.18553/jmcp.2019.25.10-a.s1.