Publications : 2014

Mehta J, Wang H, Fryzek JP, Iqbal SU, Mesa R. 2014. Health resource utilization and cost associated with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) in a large United States health plan. Leuk Lymphoma 55(10), DOI: 10.3109/10428194.2013.879127.

Abstract

Myelofibrosis (MF), polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET) may lead to bone marrow fibrosis. Because the disease course of ET and PV are long and the disease course of MF may be fatal, HRU associated costs of these neoplasms is especially important to understand. We used a large US health insurance claim database to describe the costs of these diseases. Compared to age-gender matched comparisons without MPN, all aspects of health care resource utilization (HRU) that we examined, including inpatient, outpatient and emergency room visits and pharmacy, as well as overall healthcare expenditures are significantly higher in MF, PV and ET patients (e.g., MF total costs=$54,168 vs. $10,203; PV=$14,903 vs. $7,913; ET=$29,553 vs. $8,026) than matched comparisons. In order to reduce the burden of illness associated with these diseases, continued efforts in the development of more efficacious treatments for these disorders are needed.