Prevalence of Comorbidities and Hospitalization in the 65 and over SLE (SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS) Patient Population: A Comparative Analysis of the FORWARD Lupus Registry and Medicare Data in the US (2017-2021)
Author(s)
Park M1, Nair A2, Cortinez V3, Buser H4, Katz P5, Pedro S6
1Alira Health, Basel, Switzerland, 2Alira Health, Boston, MA, USA, 3Alira Health, Berlin, Germany, 4Alira Heatlh, Cambridge, MA, USA, 5University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA, 6FORWARD The National Databank for Rheumatic Diseases, Wichita, KS, USA
Presentation Documents
OBJECTIVES: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease with multisystemic manifestations. This analysis aimed to characterize FORWARD Lupus Registry (FLR) participants ≥age 65 and compare their demographics, comorbidities, and hospitalization records with those of SLE patients in the US Medicare claims data.
METHODS: The FLR is a US online longitudinal patient-reported registry. Analyses used FLR biannual surveys from participants age ≥65 years with a physician-confirmed SLE diagnosis from the 5-year period 2017-2021. Participants with missing data for age or sex, or who did not have Medicare insurance were excluded (n=27). Descriptive statistics and five-year prevalence rates for comorbidities and hospitalizations in the FLR were analyzed. Results were compared to lupus patients (via ICD 10 codes) from the Medicare Limited Data Set (LDS) inpatient, outpatient and carrier Part A/B claims over the same period.
RESULTS: 187 and 8,508 SLE patients from FLR and Medicare were identified, respectively. In both groups, the mean age was 73 years. Ethnicity distribution was 80% vs 83% White, 7% vs 11% Black, and 13% vs 6% Other or Unknown in FLR and Medicare, respectively. Five-year prevalence rates for the top five comorbidities of SLE in the FLR and Medicare groups were hypertension (FLR: 62%, Medicare:90%), gastrointestinal issues (45%, 37%), pulmonary problems (37%, 55%), cardiac issues (32%, 84%), and depression (31%, 31%). 42% of FLR SLE patients were hospitalized for any reason during the study period (average hospital length of stay was 4.9 days) compared to 37% (6.2 days) of patients in the Medicare cohort.
CONCLUSIONS: Demographics were similar between FLR and Medicare groups. Differences in prevalence of comorbidities may be due to how the data were collected, reported, or due to differences in the underlying demographic or disease characteristics of the cohort. Both cohorts can offer insights into the health and healthcare utilization of people with SLE.
Conference/Value in Health Info
Value in Health, Volume 27, Issue 6, S1 (June 2024)
Code
PT44
Topic
Epidemiology & Public Health, Study Approaches
Topic Subcategory
Public Health, Registries
Disease
Systemic Disorders/Conditions (Anesthesia, Auto-Immune Disorders (n.e.c.), Hematological Disorders (non-oncologic), Pain)