Burden of Illness and Treatment Patterns Among Patients With von Willebrand Disease in US Clinical Practice

In this retrospective cohort study, data from an integrated US healthcare system containing both electronic medical record data and linked claims data (from 01/2004 to 12/2020) were used to evaluate the clinical burden, treatment patterns, and healthcare resource use (HRU) in patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD). Two patient cohorts were analyzed: the overall VWD population (n = 396) and a subset of these patients (n = 75) who were considered potentially eligible for prophylaxis treatment with von Willebrand factor (VWF) based on a history of severe and frequent bleeding. HRU (hospitalizations, outpatient visits, and emergency department visits) were measured in patients with linked claims data (n = 110, overall VWD patients; n = 23 potentially VWF-prophylaxis-eligible VWD patients). In general, patients with VWD experienced a substantial burden of bleeding events, comorbidities, and HRU. Patients with VWD who were considered potentially eligible for prophylaxis owing to severe and frequent bleeds suffered from a higher clinical burden and HRU than the overall VWD population, and thus may benefit from VWF prophylactic treatment. The findings from this study could help improve clinical outcomes and manage HRU for patients with VWD.