A study presented at the 11th Annual Meeting of the Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) found that hospitalizations related to thromboembolic events (TEs) among patients with polycythemia vera (PV) were associated with substantial health care resource utilization (HCRU), costs, and all-cause mortality.
The primary objective of the study was to examine the HCRU and costs associated with TE-related hospitalizations in patients with PV. By analyzing a large dataset spanning 2017-2020, the researchers quantified the extent of the burden placed on hospitals, patients, and payers due to thromboembolic complications in PV.
The investigators utilized a dataset encompassing 25% of inpatient discharges in the United States. Patients with PV and venous thromboembolism (VTE) and/or arterial thromboembolism (ATE) were identified from the dataset. Data on HCRU, lengths of stay (LOS), and cost were collected for the index TE hospitalization and a period of 2 years following the index discharge.
The study population encompassed 3494 patients with a mean age of 70.7 years. Of these patients, 69.2% presented ATE, 27.1% VTE, and 3.7% experiencing both types of TEs. The most common TEs observed were ischemic stroke (46%), myocardial infarction (25%), deep vein thrombosis (23%), and pulmonary embolism (13%).
During the initial TE-related hospitalization, the average LOS was 7 days and the average hospitalization cost was $24,403. Compared with a medically ill cohort with VTE from a prior study that utilized the same dataset, this cost far exceeded the total cost ($15,814-20,282).
The investigators found the risk of TE-related readmission to increase over time: 6% at 30 days, 10% at 90 days, 16% at 1 year, and 20% at 2 years. Likewise, the average TE-related readmission cost increased, reaching $19,334 at 30 days and $29,531 at 2 years. The combined average cost for the index hospitalization and 2-year TE-related readmissions was $30,285.
The study also highlighted a 6% all-cause in-hospital mortality rate during the index hospitalization, with a further 5% mortality rate within 2 years following the index discharge.
“Average hospitalization cost was greater than that observed in general medically ill patients with VTE, highlighting the complexity of this population and the importance of TE prevention in PV management,” the investigators concluded.
Reference
Yu J, Gayle J, Rosenthal N, et al. Inpatient Resource Utilization and Costs Associated With Hospitalizations for Thromboembolic Events Among Patients With Polycythemia Vera. Abstract MPN-512. Presented at the 11th Annual Meeting of the Society of Hematologic Oncology; September 6-9, 2023; Houston, Texas.
