The cost of SpA: results from patients in the DESIR cohort
Scientific Study Title: Costs of early spondyloarthritis: estimates from the first 3 years of the DESIR cohort.
Principal Investigator: Stephanie Harvard, University of British Columbia School of Population and Public Health PhD student and Arthritis Research Canada Trainee supervised by Dr. Bruno Fautrel, Pierre and Marie Curie University, Paris, and Dr. Aslam Anis, University of British Columbia School of Population and Public Health
Study Start Date: June 2012
Study EndDate: January 2016
What was done?
SpA (short for spondyloarthritis) is a type of inflammatory arthritis that affects the back, hips, and often other parts of the body. The DESIR cohort is a group of 708 French SpA patients who are responding to follow-up questions about their costs and health. This study started the process for researchers to start looking at the results of these questions. This included 1) building a database of costs and health information, and 2) describing patterns in costs from medication, doctor and hospital visits, and other health resource use. This was important to do because much of the available information about costs among SpA patients is outdated. This means it does not include the costs from new biologic drugs (‘anti-TNF’ therapies), which are expensive.
What were the key findings?
This study created a database of cost and health information that will let researchers look into many questions that affect SpA patients. The researchers also showed some important patterns in costs among SpA patients. For example, over 50% of total costs among patients in the DESIR cohort were from biologic drugs, even though only one in four patients is taking a biologic. Costs among SpA patients were not related to their X-Ray or MRI results, which means researchers still have more to learn about how disease severity affects costs.
Who was involved?
This study was led by a student researcher as part of a PhD thesis. A total of 7 researchers participated in the study.
Who funded this research?
To support her work with the DESIR Cohort, Stephanie Harvard received a Canadian Institutes of Health Research doctoral research award, twobursaries from the French Embassy in Canada, and a Michael Smith Foreign Study Travel award.This portion of the work received no additional funding.
Publications:
Harvard S, Guh D, Bansback N, Richette P, Dougados M, Aniis A, Fautrel B. Costs of early spondyloarthritis: estimates from the first 3 years of the DESIR cohort. RMD Open. 2016 Apr 4;2(1):e000230.
