TABLE 1.
Characteristics of Index Admissions with or Without Receipt of PCE-C or PCE-D
| Visit Variables, N = 375 Admissions | Received Systemic Corticosteroid Within 14 Days of Discharge (PCE-C) | Received Bronchodilator Within 30 Days of Discharge (PCE-D) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Yes
n = 254 (68%) |
No
n = 121 (32%) |
P Value |
Yes
n = 299 (80%) |
No
n = 76 (20%) |
P Value | |
| Pre-Index Variables | ||||||
| Age | 60 (7) | 58 (8) | 0.312 | 60 (7) | 57 (8) | 0.012 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Female | 168 (70%) [66%] | 72 (30%) [60%] | 0.211 | 192 (80%) [64%] | 48 (20%) [63%] | 0.864 |
| Male | 86 (64%) [34%] | 49 (36%) [40%] | 107 (79%) [36%] | 28 (21%) [37%] | ||
| Charlson Comorbidity Index | 1.68 (1.31) | 1.82 (1.63) | 0.403 | 1.69 (1.34) | 1.84 (1.7) | 0.474 |
| On a rescue medication | ||||||
| Yes | 224 (73%) [88%] | 84 (27%) [69%] | < 0.001 | 262 (85%) [88%] | 46 (15%) [61%] | < 0.001 |
| No | 30 (45%) [12%] | 37 (55%) [31%] | 37 (55%) [12%] | 30 (45%) [39%] | ||
| Number of rescue medicationsa | 6.19 (7.27) | 4.17 (6.82) | 0.011 | 6.57 (7.61) | 1.46 (2.38) | < 0.001 |
| On a maintenance medication | ||||||
| Yes | 164 (73%) [65%] | 60 (27%) [50%] | 0.005 | 195 (87%) [65%] | 29 (13%) [38%] | < 0.001 |
| No | 90 (60%) [35%] | 61 (40%) [50%] | 104 (69%) [35%] | 47 (31%) [62%] | ||
| Number of maintenance medicationsa | 4.59 (6.17) | 3.01 (4.92) | 0.008 | 4.88 (6.21) | 0.93 (1.99) | < 0.001 |
| Proportion of days covered | 0.29 (0.34) | 0.2 (0.3) | 0.012 | 0.31 (0.34) | 0.07 (0.15) | < 0.001 |
| PDC ≥ 75% | 40 (77%) [16%] | 12 (23%) [10%] | 0.017 | 51 (98%) [17%] | 1 (2%) [1%] | < 0.001 |
| PDC < 75% | 124 (72%) [49%] | 48 (28%) [40%] | 144 (84%) [48%] | 28 (16%) [37%] | ||
| No maintenance drug | 90 (60%) [35%] | 61 (40%) [50%] | 104 (69%) [35%] | 47 (31%) [62%] | ||
| Total medical + pharmacy costs, $ | 18,718 (23,056) | 25,838 (39,890) | 0.280 | 20,180 (29,378) | 24,304 (30,846) | 0.070 |
| COPD-related, $ | 3,492 (5,078) | 3,373 (6,422) | 0.135 | 3,713 (5,104) | 2,434 (6,941) | 0.858 |
| Total medical costs, $ | 15,126 (22,383) | 22,971 (39,231) | 0.042 | 16,624 (28,847) | 21,723 (29,874) | 0.173 |
| Inpatient costs, $ | 7,665 (16,199) | 14,026 (32,812) | 0.045 | 9,228 (23,580) | 11,645 (20,929) | 0.415 |
| COPD-related, $ | 1,178 (3,391) | 1,908 (5,827) | 0.202 | 1,329 (3,533) | 1,746 (6,629) | 0.598 |
| Outpatient costs, $ | 5,330 (7,805) | 6,748 (9,666) | 0.161 | 5,272 (7,657) | 7,818 (10,908) | 0.058 |
| COPD-related, $ | 398 (1,246) | 291 (617) | 0.268 | 401 (1,195) | 215 (392) | 0.025 |
| Total pharmacy costs, $ | 3,591 (3,629) | 2,865 (3,306) | 0.063 | 3,554 (3,438) | 2,579 (3,840) | 0.105 |
| COPD-related, $ | 1,474 (1,886) | 941 (1,361) | 0.002 | 1,569 (1,856) | 251 (416) | < 0.001 |
| Total inpatient visits | 1.46 (2.1) | 2.00 (2.83) | 0.062 | 1.5 (2.12) | 2.16 (3.15) | 0.087 |
| COPD-related | 0.32 (0.75) | 0.36 (0.9) | 0.700 | 0.32 (0.8) | 0.36 (0.81) | 0.764 |
| Total outpatient visits | 9.82 (7.96) | 9.17 (7.81) | 0.461 | 9.47 (7.79) | 10.16 (8.37) | 0.500 |
| COPD-related | 1.35 (2.32) | 1.2 (2.29) | 0.542 | 1.36 (2.43) | 1.07 (1.73) | 0.221 |
| COPD exacerbationsb | 0.80 (1.64) | 0.45 (1.03) | 0.010 | 0.73 (1.58) | 0.50 (0.96) | 0.110 |
| Event (Index) Variables | ||||||
| Length of stay, days | 1.92 (2.35) | 1.56 (3.54) | 0.312 | 1.90 (2.88) | 1.45 (2.37) | 0.161 |
| Cost of hospitalization/ED, $ | 4,491 (4,346) | 4,503 (10,160) | 0.990 | 4,511 (6,962) | 4,430 (6,022) | 0.926 |
| Location | ||||||
| ED | 131 (63%) [52%] | 78 (37%) [64%] | 0.019 | 160 (77%) [54%] | 49 (23%) [64%] | 0.086 |
| Inpatient hospital | 123 (74%) [48%] | 43 (26%) [36%] | 139 (84%) [46%] | 27 (16%) [36%] | ||
Note: Expressed as mean (SD) for continuous variables or count (Row %) [Column %] for categorical variables.
a Number of medications are expressed as mean inhalers per patient per year and include patients who have no medications.
b COPD exacerbations were defined as an inpatient hospitalization or an ED visit with a primary diagnosis for COPD or a claim for oral or parenteral corticosteroids within 7 days following an outpatient claim for COPD, expressed as per patient per year.
COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; ED = emergency department; PCE = pharmacotherapy management of COPD exacerbation; PDC = proportion of days covered; SD = standard deviation.