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The following is a summary of “Higher healthcare cost and utilization before and after diagnosis of AATD in the United States,” published in the November 2024 issue of Pulmonology by Blanchette et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the effect of delayed diagnosis of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) on healthcare costs and utilization by comparing data before and after diagnosis.  

They assessed patients with at least 4 years of claims experience between 2011 and 2017 in a commercial claims database. The Outcome measures were calculated for each year (Year 1 pre-index diagnosis and Years 1, 2, and 3 post-index follow-up), including healthcare costs (pharmacy and medical), medical costs, inpatient events, and emergency room visits. The unadjusted measures in follow-up years (Years 1, 2, and 3) were compared to the pre-index Year 1 and a separate multivariate analysis adjusted for age, sex, and comorbidities was performed.  

The results showed that mean adjusted healthcare costs were higher in Year 1 post-index compared to Year 1 pre-index ($51,785 vs $41,441, P < 0.05). In Year 2 ($36,937 vs $41,441, P < 0.05) and Year 3 ($28,558 vs $41,441, P < 0.05) post-index, adjusted healthcare costs decreased compared to pre-index. The adjusted medical costs were similar in Year 1 post-index ($25,034) vs pre-index ($22,952) but significantly lower in Year 2 ($15,242 vs $25,034, P < 0.05) and Year 3 ($8,779 vs $25,034, P < 0.05). The frequency of inpatient and emergency room events was significantly lower in all observation periods after diagnosis in the unadjusted analysis while, in the adjusted analysis, similar findings were observed, except for emergency room visits, which remained consistent across all periods.  

Investigators concluded the patients with AATD experienced notable healthcare costs and utilization before diagnosis, with an increase in the first post-diagnosis year followed by subsequent reductions below pre-diagnosis levels, highlighting the importance of timely diagnosis. 

 Source: bmcpulmmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12890-024-03396-w