Disease severity and economic burden in Japanese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A retrospective, observational study

AIM: To describe the healthcare resource utilization (HRU), direct medical costs and clinical characteristics for Japanese patients with mild, moderate or severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The primary objectives were to describe HRU and examine the direct medical costs for Japanese patients with mild, moderate, or severe SLE over the 3‐year study period. Secondary objectives included recording patient demographics, clinical characteristics and frequency and cost of mild, moderate or severe flares. Exploratory objectives included a description of treatment patterns, and to explore which factors affect medical costs. METHODS: This retrospective, observational cohort study identified patients with SLE (diagnosed April 2010 to March 2012), from the Japan Medical Data Center claims database. RESULT: The study cohort comprised 295 patients with mild (28, 9.5%), moderate (134, 45.4%), or severe (133, 45.1%) SLE. Outpatient visits, hospitalizations and emergency room stays were experienced by 295 (100%), 116 (39.3%) and 31 (10.5%) patients, respectively, over the 3‐year study period. Over the 3‐year period, the mean total direct medical cost was US$27 004, and cost increased with SLE severity: mild, $5549 moderate, $15 290; and severe, $43 322 (analysis of variance, P < 0.0001). During this period, the majority of patients (282, 95.6%) experienced at least one flare episode and the mean (standard deviation) frequency was 5.5 (3.3) flares. The mean total direct medical cost per flare increased with SLE severity. CONCLUSION: This descriptive study provides information on the economic burden and clinical characteristics of Japanese patients with SLE based on claims data; high levels of HRU and direct medical costs were exhibited, particularly in patients with moderate or severe disease.