Table 1. Patient Demographic and Clinical Characteristics<sup>a</sup>.
| Persistent (n=959) | Nonpersistent (n=751) | P Value | Adherent (n=996) | Nonadherent (n=714) | P Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age at index, years; mean (SD) | 47.4 (10.0) | 45.5 (11.8) | .00246 | 47.3 (10.2) | 45.5 (11.8) | .00187 |
| Age categories, n (%) | ||||||
| <35 years | 109 (11.4) | 133 (17.7) | <.001 | 116 (11.6) | 126 (17.6) | <.001 |
| 35-44 years | 249 (26.0) | 203 (27.0) | 255 (25.6) | 197 (27.6) | ||
| 45-54 years | 351 (36.6) | 222 (29.6) | 365 (36.6) | 208 (29.1) | ||
| ≥55+ years | 250 (26.1) | 193 (25.7) | 260 (26.1) | 183 (25.6) | ||
| Female, n (%) | 698 (72.8) | 580 (77.2) | .041 | 718 (72.1) | 560 (78.4) | .00349 |
| Region, n (%) | ||||||
| North Central | 212 (22.1) | 148 (19.7) | .442 | 218 (21.9) | 142 (19.9) | .611 |
| Northeast | 216 (22.5) | 164 (21.8) | 221 (22.2) | 159 (22.3) | ||
| South | 429 (44.7) | 352 (46.9) | 450 (45.2) | 331 (46.4) | ||
| West | 100 (10.4) | 87 (11.6) | 105 (10.5) | 82 (11.5) | ||
| Unknown | 2 (0.2) | 0 (0) | 2 (0.2) | 0 (0) | ||
| Payer, n (%) | ||||||
| Commercial | 932 (97.2) | 718 (95.6) | .103 | 967 (97.1) | 683 (95.7) | .147 |
| Medicare | 27 (2.8) | 33 (4.4) | 29 (2.9) | 31 (4.3) | ||
| Plan type, n (%) | ||||||
| Comprehensive | 33 (3.4) | 48 (6.4) | .0504 | 38 (3.8) | 43 (6.0) | .109 |
| EPO/HMO | 101 (10.5) | 77 (10.3) | 100 (10.0) | 78 (10.9) | ||
| POS | 34 (3.5) | 39 (5.2) | 38 (3.8) | 35 (4.9) | ||
| PPO | 561 (58.5) | 416 (55.4) | 580 (58.2) | 397 (55.6) | ||
| CDHP | 155 (16.2) | 107 (14.2) | 162 (16.3) | 100 (14.0) | ||
| HDHP | 65 (6.8) | 54 (7.2) | 70 (7.0) | 49 (6.9) | ||
| Unknown/missing | 10 (1.0) | 10 (1.3) | 8 (0.8) | 12 (1.7) | ||
| Pre-index relapse, n (%) | 310 (32.3) | 259 (34.5) | .373 | 330 (33.1) | 239 (33.5) | .924 |
| Pre-index DMT use, n (%) | 573 (59.7) | 312 (41.5) | <.001 | 589 (59.1) | 296 (41.5) | <.001 |
| CCI, n (%) | ||||||
| 0 | 730 (76.1) | 566 (75.4) | .888 | 761 (76.4) | 535 (74.9) | .776 |
| 1 | 104 (10.8) | 87 (11.6) | 109 (10.9) | 82 (11.5) | ||
| 2+ | 125 (13.0) | 98 (13.0) | 126 (12.7) | 97 (13.6) | ||
| MS symptom, n (%) | ||||||
| Other causes of myelitis | 2 (0.2) | 1 (0.1) | 1 | 2 (0.2) | 1 (0.1) | 1 |
| Demyelinating disease of central nervous system | 149 (15.5) | 126 (16.8) | .531 | 156 (15.7) | 119 (16.7) | .624 |
| Disorders of optic nerve and visual pathways | 125 (13.0) | 88 (11.7) | .457 | 128 (12.9) | 85 (11.9) | .61 |
| Neurogenic bladder NOS | 93 (9.7) | 53 (7.1) | .064 | 96 (9.6) | 50 (7.0) | .0664 |
| Other disorders of soft tissues: neuralgia, neuritis, and radiculitis, unspecified | 38 (4.0) | 29 (3.9) | 1 | 39 (3.9) | 28 (3.9) | 1 |
| General symptoms: dizziness and giddiness | 106 (11.1) | 98 (13.0) | .235 | 114 (11.4) | 90 (12.6) | .513 |
| General symptoms: fatigue and malaise | 336 (35.0) | 235 (31.3) | .115 | 349 (35.0) | 222 (31.1) | .0979 |
| Total pre-index non-DMT costs, mean $US (SD) | 21 800 (29 700) | 27 900 (80 600) | .297 | 21 800 (29 700) | 28 300 (82 300) | .279 |
| Index DMT | ||||||
| Dimethyl fumarate | 150 (15.6) | 147 (19.6) | <.001 | 154 (15.5) | 143 (20.0) | <.001 |
| Fingolimod | 116 (12.1) | 66 (8.8) | 124 (12.4) | 58 (8.1) | ||
| Glatiramer acetate | 94 (9.8) | 179 (23.8) | 99 (9.9) | 174 (24.4) | ||
| Interferon beta-1a | 23 (2.4) | 55 (7.3) | 26 (2.6) | 52 (7.3) | ||
| Interferon beta-1b | 4 (0.4) | 10 (1.3) | 4 (0.4) | 10 (1.4) | ||
| Natalizumab | 66 (6.9) | 54 (7.2) | 65 (6.5) | 55 (7.7) | ||
| Ocrelizumab | 395 (41.2) | 129 (17.2) | 417 (41.9) | 107 (15.0) | ||
| Teriflunomide | 111 (11.6) | 111 (14.8) | 107 (10.7) | 115 (16.1) | ||
Abbreviations: CCI, Charlson Comorbidity Index; CDHP, consumer-directed health plan; DMT, disease-modifying therapy; EPO, exclusive provider organization; HDHP, high-deductible health plan; HMO, health maintenance organization; NOS, not otherwise specified; OCR, ocrelizumab; POS, point of service; PPO, preferred provider organization. aSeparate analyses were conducted for persistent vs nonpersistent patients and for adherent vs nonadherent patients.