Olajumoke A Olateju, Jieni Li, J Douglas Thornton, Rajender R Aparasu
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: The incidence of melanoma has increased significantly in the past few decades, posing a significant public health challenge. However, there is an evidence gap regarding the marginal costs of treating melanoma.
Objective: To examine the marginal health care expenditures for melanoma compared with other nonskin cancers among US adults.
Methods: This study examined individuals aged 18 years or older with melanoma, nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), and other cancers from the 2011-2020 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey datasets. Direct health care expenditures involving hospital inpatient, outpatient, prescription medications, dental, vision, home health care, and other medical services for melanoma were analyzed using generalized linear models, and comparisons were made with expenditures for other types of cancers while adjusting for other patient characteristics.
Results: There were 0.70 million individuals (95% CI = 0.61-0.78) diagnosed with melanoma annually. Total health care expenditures among individuals with melanoma, NMSC, and other cancers were $19,427, $13,744, and $23,741, respectively. A generally increasing trend of expenditure was observed over the years. Notably, office-based care (30.46%), inpatient services (28.78%), and prescription (18.27%) costs primarily accounted for the health care burden of patients with melanoma. Adjusted marginal total health care expenditures for melanoma were found to be lower ($-3,369.01 [95% CI = -$5,934.15 to -$803.85]) than other cancers but higher ($2,844.75 [95% CI = $2,204.77-$3,484.72]) compared with NMSC. Prescription expenditures were similar across the 3 cancer study groups.
Conclusions: This study found that adjusted marginal expenditures for melanoma were higher than those with NMSC but lower than other nonskin cancers, with office-based care and inpatient expenditures contributing to most of the expenditures. The findings suggest that concerted efforts are needed to control the primary cost drivers to reduce the associated burden of potentially preventable skin cancer like melanoma.
期刊介绍:
JMCP welcomes research studies conducted outside of the United States that are relevant to our readership. Our audience is primarily concerned with designing policies of formulary coverage, health benefit design, and pharmaceutical programs that are based on evidence from large populations of people. Studies of pharmacist interventions conducted outside the United States that have already been extensively studied within the United States and studies of small sample sizes in non-managed care environments outside of the United States (e.g., hospitals or community pharmacies) are generally of low interest to our readership. However, studies of health outcomes and costs assessed in large populations that provide evidence for formulary coverage, health benefit design, and pharmaceutical programs are of high interest to JMCP’s readership.