The following is a summary of “Assessment of the Cost Burden of Episodic Recurrent Vestibular Vertigo in the US” published in the October 2022 issue of Otolaryngol Head Neck Surgery by Jeong et al.
A better grasp of the monetary impact and contributors associated with vertigo that occurs frequently due to vestibular dysfunction is required. The purpose of this study is to investigate and determine the causes of the high direct medical expenditures related to Ménière disease (MD), vestibular migraine (VM), and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). MarketScan Commercial Database claims data from 2018 were utilized to determine the non-Medicare patient population with MD, VM, or BPPV for this economic study. Information was gathered from January 1st, 2018, and used through December 31st, 2018. Direct medical expenses for treating MD, VM, and BPPV as a whole.
There were a total of 53 210 patients and 34 738 healthy controls in this study (standard deviation[SD] age, 47.8 [11.8] years; 67.6% female). Patients with MD numbered 5783 (10.9%), VM numbered 3526 (6.6%), and BPPV numbered 43,901 (82.5%). Various vestibular diseases were associated with different median ages and genders. Patients without comorbidities or with a Charlson Comorbidity Index score of 0 made up between 98.4% and 98.8% of the total population. Only about 5% of people required a hospital stay of longer than 5.2 days. Mean adjusted annual payments/direct costs for MD ($9579), VM ($11,371), and BPPV ($8,247) varied significantly between the 3 groups after controlling for age, sex, and comorbidities. It was predicted that this would add an extra $60 billion to the expense of maintaining a typical population.
It was found that the average number of brain magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) or computed tomography(CT) scans performed on an outpatient basis was between 1 and 20, whereas the average number of scans performed on an inpatient basis was between 1 and 6. The majority of the money was spent in three regions: the Midwest, surrounding Lake Michigan, and in the East. This cost-benefit analysis found that treatment for MD, VM, and BPPV, the 3 most common causes of recurrent vertigo, can be quite pricey. Reduce expenses by eliminating unnecessary imaging orders and vestibular testing. The diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients presenting with vestibular diseases or dizziness could be improved with more study and widespread education.
Source: jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/article-abstract/2797389
