Table 3.
Direct health care costs and utilization in patients with early versus late COPD diagnosis
| Variablea | Early diagnosis (N=3,870) |
Late diagnosis (N=8,827) |
p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per patient, Euro (95% CI) | |||
| Total for respiratory drugs (R03) | 386.5 (353.7–419.4) | 900.1 (878.3–921.8) | <0.0001 |
| Public cost | 314.0 (283.9–344.1) | 782.1 (762.1–802) | <0.0001 |
| Individual patient cost | 72.6 (68.4–76.8) | 118.0 (115.3–120.8) | <0.0001 |
| Total drug cost per patient | 460.8 (396.6–524.9) | 716.6 (674.2–759.1) | <0.0001 |
| Public cost | 373.2 (310.4–436.0) | 595.3 (553.7–636.8) | <0.0001 |
| Individual patient cost | 87.6 (80.0–95.3) | 121.4 (116.4–126.5) | <0.0001 |
| Utilization per patient per year, n (95% CI) | |||
| Nights at hospital (COPD-related; J45) | 0.16 (0.03–0.38) | 1.17 (1.02–1.30) | <0.0001 |
| Nights at hospital (non-COPD) | 11.65 (11.04–12.55) | 11.58 (11.01–12.02) | 0.5487 |
| Hospitalization events (COPD-related; J44) | 0.03 (0.01–0.05) | 0.17 (0.16–0.18) | <0.0001 |
| Hospitalization events (non-COPD) | 1.68 (1.59–1.78) | 1.79 (1.72–1.85) | 0.0933 |
| Out hospital visitsb (COPD-related; J45) | 0.04 (0.02–0.06) | 0.15 (0.14–0.16) | <0.0001 |
| Out hospital visitsb (non-COPD) | 3.76 (3.44–4.02) | 4.74 (4.56–4.94) | <0.0001 |
| Primary care contact with physician | 13.06 (12.41–13.73) | 15.77 (15.33–16.21) | <0.0001 |
| Primary care contact with persons other than physician | 9.20 (8.42–9.98) | 12.48 (11.96–13.00) | <0.0001 |
| Number of referrals | 0.99 (0.91–1.06) | 1.22 (1.17–1.28) | <0.0001 |
Notes: aAll variables are calculated with age as a covariate. Data are for the 2 years following COPD diagnosis. bOut hospital visit: a visit where the patient does not stay overnight at the hospital. R03 indicates the ATC prescription code for respiratory disease. Exchange rates in 2013, 8 Swedish Krona= 1 Euro.