Table 3.
Factors associated with total all-cause healthcare costs during the 1-year post-diagnosis (follow-up) period for patients with newly diagnosed SLE: multivariable regression model analysis
| Variable* | Cost ratio | Lower 95% CI | Upper 95% CI | P value |
| SLE disease severity for each patient (ref. mild) | ||||
| Moderate SLE | 1.81 | 1.65 | 1.98 | <0.0001 |
| Severe SLE | 4.24 | 3.80 | 4.73 | <0.0001 |
| Age (ref. ≥65 years) | ||||
| 18–44 years | 1.33 | 0.94 | 1.89 | 0.1103 |
| 45–64 years | 1.36 | 0.97 | 1.92 | 0.0766 |
| Female (ref. male) | 0.99 | 0.87 | 1.13 | 0.9266 |
| Race/ethnicity (ref. non-Hispanic white) | ||||
| Non-Hispanic black | 0.95 | 0.85 | 1.07 | 0.4375 |
| Hispanic | 1.10 | 0.92 | 1.31 | 0.3195 |
| Other/unknown | 0.99 | 0.91 | 1.08 | 0.8213 |
| Region (ref. Northeast) | ||||
| North central | 0.92 | 0.80 | 1.05 | 0.2223 |
| South | 1.01 | 0.92 | 1.12 | 0.7948 |
| West | 1.01 | 0.87 | 1.17 | 0.9129 |
| Unknown | 0.64 | 0.36 | 1.12 | 0.1206 |
| Payer type (ref. commercial) | ||||
| Medicare | 1.18 | 0.84 | 1.65 | 0.3470 |
| CCI (ref. 0) | ||||
| 1 | 1.06 | 0.96 | 1.16 | 0.2488 |
| 2 | 1.21 | 1.08 | 1.36 | 0.0010 |
| ≥3 | 1.29 | 1.14 | 1.46 | <0.0001 |
| No of medications at baseline (ref. 0) | ||||
| 1 | 0.96 | 0.86 | 1.07 | 0.4411 |
| 2 | 0.99 | 0.89 | 1.11 | 0.9095 |
| ≥3 | 1.18 | 1.05 | 1.33 | 0.0051 |
| Total all-cause healthcare cost per patient during 1-year baseline period (logged) | 1.23 | 1.21 | 1.26 | <0.0001 |
| Intercept | 1160.49 | 757.71 | 1777.39 | <0.0001 |
*Generalised linear models with gamma distribution and log transformation.
CCI, Charlson Comorbidity Index; ref., reference.