Caroline Schaefer

Burden of illness associated with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy among adults seeking treatment in the US: Results from a retrospective chart review and cross-sectional survey

Background The purpose of this study was to characterize the burden of illness among adult subjects with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (pDPN) seeking treatment in the US. Methods This observational study recruited 112 subjects with pDPN during routine visits from general practitioner and specialist sites. Subjects completed a one-time questionnaire, which included demographics, symptom duration, health care resource use, out-of-pocket costs, employment status, and validated measures that assessed pain, functioning, sleep, anxiety and depression, health status, and productivity. Investigators completed a case report form based on a 6-month retrospective chart review to capture clinical information, pDPN-related treatments, and other pDPN-related health care resource use over the past 6 months. Annualized costs were extrapolated based on reported 6-month health care resource use. Results The mean age of the subjects was 61.1 years, 52.7% were female, and 17.9% were in paid employment. The most common comorbid conditions were sleep disturbance/insomnia (43.8%), depressive symptoms (41.1%), and anxiety (35.7%). The mean pain severity score was 5.2 (0–10 scale), and 79.5% reported moderate or severe pain. The mean pain interference with function score was 5.0 (0–10 scale) overall, with 2.0 among mild, 5.1 among moderate, and 7.0 among severe. The mean Medical Outcomes Study sleep problems index score was 48.5 (0–100 scale). The mean health state utility score was 0.61. Among subjects employed for pay, mean overall work impairment was 43.6%. Across all subjects, mean overall activity impairment was 52.3%. In total, 81.3% were prescribed at least one medication for their pDPN; 50.9% reported taking at least one nonprescription medication. Adjusted mean annualized total direct and indirect costs per subject were

Impact of fibromyalgia severity on health economic costs

4841 and

Economic and humanistic burden of post-trauma and post-surgical neuropathic pain among adults in the United States

9730, respectively. Outcomes related to pain interference with function, sleep, health status, activity impairment, prescription medication use, and direct and indirect costs were significantly worse among subjects with more severe pain (P < 0.0020). Conclusion Subjects with pDPN exhibited high pain levels, which were associated with poor sleep, function, and productivity. Health care resource utilization in pDPN was prevalent and costs increased with greater pain severity. The burden of pDPN was greater among subjects with greater pain severity.

Burden of spinal cord injury-related neuropathic pain in the United States: Retrospective chart review and cross-sectional survey

BackgroundFibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic disorder characterized by persistent and widespread pain, often accompanied with fatigue, sleep disturbance and other symptoms. FM affects a population mostly of a productive age and is thus associated with significant lost productivity and disability, in addition to healthcare costs for medications and physician office visits. While other studies have examined FM costs in Europe, few, if any, have examined cost by FM severity level.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to examine health resource utilization (HRU) and costs associated with FM in routine clinical practice in France and Germany across disease severity levels.MethodsA total of 299 patients with FM, previously diagnosed by a rheumatologist, were recruited from physician offices in France and Germany during routine visits. Subjects completed questions about their pain, health-related quality of life, treatment satisfaction, productivity and FM-related out-of-pocket expenses; site staff recorded clinical, treatment and HRU information for the previous 3 months based on a review of medical records. FM severity was defined using subjects’ Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) total scores. Annual costs from a societal perspective were calculated in h, year 2008 values, and included direct costs (e.g. physician office visits, medications, out-of-pocket expenses) and indirect costs (e.g. missed days of work and lost productivity). The mean annual costs were calculated based on 3-month data.ResultsSubjects were reported to have a mean (SD) of 2.9 (1.9) physician office visits in France and 4.9 (3.2) visits in Germany over the past 3 months, corresponding to an average of 11.6 and 19.6 visits a year, respectively. A total of 91% of subjects were receiving prescription medication for their FM. French subjects reported a lower use of anti-inflammatories (39% of subjects) and a higher use of other analgesics (59% of subjects) than German subjects (67% and 34%, respectively). Subjects in full- or part-time employment reported missing a mean (SD) of 2.7 (6.0) days of work due to FM in France and 2.1 (3.8) days in Germany over the last 4 weeks (corresponding to 32.4 and 25.2 days of work missed due to FM per year in France and Germany, respectively). In France, total costs were €7900 (direct €910, indirect €6990). In Germany, total costs were €7256 (direct €1765, indirect €5491). A trend of higher total costs was seen as FM severity increased; however, the results were significant (p = 0.003) only for Germany.ConclusionsFM imposes a significant economic burden on society. Consistent with other studies, FM subjects were found to have substantial costs, over 75% of which were driven by indirect costs from lost productivity. These costs increased as FM severity increased, resulting in a more than 200% difference in cost between mild and severe FM. Overall FM costs were similar between France and Germany; although lost productivity accounted for a higher proportion of costs in France.

Health-resource use and costs associated with fibromyalgia in France, Germany, and the United States

Background Neuropathic pain (NeP) can be chronic, debilitating, and can interfere with sleep, functioning, and emotional well being. While there are multiple causes of NeP, few studies have examined the disease burden and treatment patterns associated with post-traumatic/post-surgical (PTPS) NeP. Objective To characterize pain, health status, function, health care resource utilization, lost productivity, and costs among subjects with PTPS NeP in the United States. Methods This observational study enrolled 100 PTPS NeP subjects recruited during routine visits from general practitioner and specialist sites. Subjects completed a one-time questionnaire with validated measures of pain severity and pain interference, health status, sleep, anxiety and depression, productivity, and study-specific items on demographics, employment status, and out-of-pocket expenses. Investigators completed a case report form based on a 6-month retrospective chart review, recording subjects’ clinical characteristics as well as current and previous medications/treatments for NeP. Subjects were stratified into mild, moderate, and severe pain groups. Results Subjects’ demographic characteristics were: mean age of 54.9 years, 53% female, and 22% employed for pay. Mean pain severity score was 5.6 (0–10 scale), with 48% and 35% classified as having moderate and severe pain, respectively. The mean number of comorbidities increased with greater pain severity (P = 0.0009). Patient-reported outcomes were worse among PTPS NeP subjects with more severe pain, including pain interference with function, health state utility, sleep, and depression (P < 0.0001). Eighty-two percent of subjects were prescribed two or more NeP medications. The total mean annualized adjusted direct and indirect costs per subject were

Valuation of transfusion-free living in MDS: results of health utility interviews with patients

11,846 and

The Comparative Burden of Chronic Widespread Pain and Fibromyalgia in the United States.

29,617, respectively. Across pain severity levels, differences in annualized adjusted direct and indirect costs were significant (P < 0.0001). Conclusion PTPS NeP subjects reported high pain scores, which were associated with poor health utility, sleep, mood, and function, as well as high health care resource utilization and costs. The quality of life impact and costs attributable to PTPS NeP suggest an unmet need for effective and comprehensive management.

Pain severity and the economic burden of neuropathic pain in the United States: BEAT Neuropathic Pain Observational Study

Study design:Cross-sectional, observational study.Objectives:Characterize demographic and clinical characteristics, health status, pain, function, productivity and economic burden in spinal cord injury-related neuropathic pain (SCI-NeP) subjects, by pain severity.Setting:United States.Methods:One hundred and three subjects diagnosed with SCI-NeP recruited during routine primary care or specialty physician office visits completed a questionnaire to assess patient-reported outcomes. Physicians completed a case report form on inclusion/exclusion criteria, subject clinical characteristics and health-care resource use (HRU) based on 6-month retrospective chart review.Results:Subjects’ mean age was 48.7, 69.9% were male and 48.5% were unable to walk. The most frequently reported comorbidities were sleep disturbance/insomnia (28.2%), depressive symptoms (25.2%) and anxiety (23.3%). Subjects’ mean pain severity score was 5.3 (0–10 scale), and 77.7% reported moderate or severe pain. On a 0–10 scale, subjects’ reported moderate pain interference with function: mean 5.4. Subjects’ health status, as measured by the EuroQol 5-dimensions health-state utility, was 0.49 (−0.11 to 1.00 scale). Pain interference with function and health status were significantly worse among subjects with more severe pain (P<0.0005). Among employed subjects (13.6%), overall work impairment was 38.0%. The proportion of subjects who were prescribed ⩾1 medication was 94.2%, and the mean number of physician office visits in past 6 months due to SCI-NeP was 2.2. Total annualized cost per subject was

Treatment patterns among physician specialties in the management of fibromyalgia: results of a cross-sectional study in the United States

26 270 (direct:

Health status, function, productivity, and costs among individuals with idiopathic painful peripheral neuropathy with small fiber involvement in the United States: results from a retrospective chart review and cross-sectional survey.

8636, indirect: