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The following is a summary of “Opioid Use and Healthcare Utilization in Adults With Psoriatic Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis,” published in the October 2024 issue of Rheumatology by Liew et al.
Opioid use is common in spondyloarthritis, but its impact on healthcare utilization is unclear.
Researchers conducted a prospective study to investigate the relationship between opioid use, healthcare utilization & costs in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
They included adults with PsA or AS from the FORWARD registry who completed at least 1 disease activity or disability questionnaire between 2010 and 2019. The study assessed patient-reported opioid use as exposure and evaluated annual healthcare utilization and prescription costs as outcomes. Negative binomial regression was used to analyze the association between opioid use and healthcare utilization, while generalized linear models with a γ-distribution and log link function were applied for costs. Models were adjusted for age, sex, and hospitalization, with separate analyses for AS and PsA.
The results showed that among 828 patients with PsA, 21.4% reported opioid use, while 27.2% of 334 patients with AS used opioids. Opioid users had higher healthcare utilization and costs, with 32-33% more annual medical visits compared to nonusers. Additionally, patients using opioids spent more on medical visits annually (US $3464 vs $2706 for PsA; US $4500 vs $3660 for AS).
Investigators concluded that opioid use among patients with PsA and AS was linked to higher healthcare utilization and costs. New care pathways were needed to reduce expenses.
Source: jrheum.org/content/51/10/1009
