Incidence of patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis in Germany - A healthcare insurance claims data analysis.

BACKGROUND: Incidence and prevalence of patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) appear to be increasing worldwide but supporting epidemiological data are scarce. This study assesses the incidence of NCFB patients in Germany in 2013 and analyzes comorbidities and basic patterns of resource use. METHODS: A representative sample of 3.988.648 anonymized persons covered by German public statutory health insurances was used to identify incident patients with NCFB in 2013. RESULTS: After extrapolation to the general population of the 728 patients found in the reference insurance database, we estimate that a total of 17,095 NCFB patients were newly diagnosed across the country in 2013 as having NCFB. This corresponds to an incidence of 21.23 per 100.000 inhabitants. The majority of NCFB patients (98.4%) was at least 18 years old, and 52.7% of the NCFB patients were male. Trend analysis shows a rise of NCFB incidence in Germany from 2011 through 2013. COPD (41.4%), asthma (32.8%) and gastroesophageal reflux (18.3%) were the most frequent predisposing conditions. Coronary heart disease was observed in more than one quarter of NCFB patients (28.2%). 58.4% of the NCFB outpatients received antiobstructive inhalative medication. Of the adult NCFB patients, 51.6% were prescribed antibiotics to treat NCFB by settled doctors (outpatient treatment); 51.5% of those patients were males. The peak of antibiotic treatment was observed in the 75-79 age group for males and 70-74 and 75-79 years for females. The majority of diagnosed patients (54.1%) received at least two prescriptions during 2013. Bacterial pathogens were coded for a total of 10.7% of NCFB patients, while Pseudomonas aeruginosa was only documented in 2.3%. Among those diagnosed in 2013, 8.0% of the adult NCFB patients who received antibiotic treatment had to be hospitalized. CONCLUSIONS: Although hospital admissions due to exacerbation in the first year of diagnosing NCFB are not rare, outpatient burden and costs must also be considered a major part of care. Given the increasing recognition of NCFB, a better understanding of the economic burden of the disease is required, with a view towards improving patient management. For this, more detailed, prospective studies are needed.

The economic burden of bronchiectasis - known and unknown: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The increasing prevalence and recognition of bronchiectasis in clinical practice necessitates a better understanding of the economic disease burden to improve the management and achieve better clinical and economic outcomes. This study aimed to assess the economic burden of bronchiectasis based on a review of published literature. METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted using MEDLINE, Embase, EconLit and Cochrane databases to identify publications (1 January 2001 to 31 December 2016) on the economic burden of bronchiectasis in adults. RESULTS: A total of 26 publications were identified that reported resource use and costs associated with management of bronchiectasis. Two US studies reported annual incremental costs of bronchiectasis versus matched controls of US$5681 and US$2319 per patient. Twenty-four studies reported on hospitalization rates or duration of hospitalization for patients with bronchiectasis. Mean annual hospitalization rates per patient, reported in six studies, ranged from 0.3-1.3, while mean annual age-adjusted hospitalization rates, reported in four studies, ranged from 1.8-25.7 per 100,000 population. The average duration of hospitalization, reported in 12 studies, ranged from 2 to 17 days. Eight publications reported management costs of bronchiectasis. Total annual management costs of €3515 and €4672 per patient were reported in two Spanish studies. Two US studies reported total costs of approximately US$26,000 in patients without exacerbations, increasing to US$36,00-37,000 in patients with exacerbations. Similarly, a Spanish study reported higher total annual costs for patients with > 2 exacerbations per year (€7520) compared with those without exacerbations (€3892). P. aeruginosa infection increased management costs by US$31,551 to US$56,499, as reported in two US studies, with hospitalization being the main cost driver. CONCLUSIONS: The current literature suggests that the economic burden of bronchiectasis in society is significant. Hospitalization costs are the major driver behind these costs, especially in patients with frequent exacerbations. However, the true economic burden of bronchiectasis is likely to be underestimated because most studies were retrospective, used ICD-9-CM coding to identify patients, and often ignored outpatient burden and cost. We present a conceptual framework to facilitate a more comprehensive assessment of the true burden of bronchiectasis for individuals, healthcare systems and society.