Insights From the Geographic Spread of the Lyme Disease Epidemic.

Background: Lyme disease is the most common reportable zoonotic infection in the United States. Recent data suggest spread of the Ixodes tick vector and increasing incidence of Lyme disease in several states, including Pennsylvania. We sought to determine the clinical presentation and healthcare use patterns for pediatric Lyme disease in western Pennsylvania. Methods: The electronic medical records of all patients with an International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision, diagnosis of Lyme disease between 2003 and 2013 at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh were individually reviewed to identify confirmed cases of Lyme disease. The records of 773 patients meeting these criteria were retrospectively analyzed for patient demographics, disease manifestations, and healthcare use. Results: An Lyme disease increased exponentially in the pediatric population of western Pennsylvania. There was a southwestward migration of Lyme disease cases, with a shift from rural to nonrural zip codes. Healthcare provider involvement evolved from subspecialists to primary care pediatricians and emergency departments (EDs). Patients from nonrural zip codes more commonly presented to the ED, while patients from rural zip codes used primary care pediatricians and EDs equally. Conclusions: The current study details the conversion of western Pennsylvania from a Lyme-naive to a Lyme-epidemic area, highlighting changes in clinical presentation and healthcare use over time. Presenting symptoms and provider type differed between those from rural and nonrural zip codes. By elucidating the temporospatial epidemiology and healthcare use for pediatric Lyme disease, the current study may inform public health measures regionally while serving as an archetype for other areas at-risk for Lyme disease epidemics.

Cost-Effectiveness of Melanoma Screening in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients are at increased risk of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers, and preventive care guidelines in IBD favor annual skin examinations. Here we estimate the cost-effectiveness of annual melanoma screening in IBD. METHODS: Melanoma screening was defined as receiving annual total body skin examinations starting at age 40 from a dermatologist. Screening was compared to US background total body skin examination rates performed by primary care practitioners. A Markov model was used to estimate intervention costs and effectiveness. Future costs and effectiveness were discounted at 3% per year over a lifetime horizon. Strategies were compared using a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000/quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. RESULTS: Annual melanoma screening cost an average of $1961 per patient, while no screening cost $81 per patient. Melanoma screening was more effective, gaining 9.2 QALYs per 1000 persons, at a cost of $203,400/QALY gained. Screening every other year was the preferred strategy, gaining 6.2 QALYs per 1000 persons and costing $143,959/QALY. One-way sensitivity analyses suggested the relative risk of melanoma in IBD, melanoma progression, and screening costs were most influential with clinically plausible variation, leading to scenarios costing < $100,000/QALY gained. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses suggested screening every other year was cost-effective in 17.4% of iterations. CONCLUSIONS: Screening for melanoma in IBD patients was effective but expensive. Screening every other year was the most cost-effective strategy. Studies to identify IBD patients at the highest risk of developing melanoma may assist in targeting a prevention program in the most cost-effective manner.

Development of an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Registry Derived from Observational Electronic Health Record Data for Comprehensive Clinical Phenotyping.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a heterogeneous collection of chronic inflammatory disorders of the digestive tract. Clinical, genetic, and pathological heterogeneity makes it increasingly difficult to translate efficacy studies into real-world practice. Our objective was to develop a comprehensive natural history registry derived from multi-year observational data to facilitate effectiveness and clinical phenotypic research in IBD. METHODS: A longitudinal, consented registry with prospectively collected data was developed at UPMC. All adult IBD patients receiving care at the tertiary care center of UPMC are eligible for enrollment. Detailed data in the electronic health record are accessible for registry research purposes. Data are exported directly from the electronic health record and temporally organized for research. RESULTS: To date, there are over 2565 patients participating in the IBD research registry. All patients have demographic data, clinical disease characteristics, and disease course data including healthcare utilization, laboratory values, health-related questionnaires quantifying disease activity and quality of life, and analytical information on treatment, temporally organized for 6 years (2009-2015). The data have resulted in a detailed definition of clinical phenotypes suitable for association studies with parameters of disease outcomes and treatment response. We have established the infrastructure required to examine the effectiveness of treatment and disease course in the real-world setting of IBD. CONCLUSIONS: The IBD research registry offers a unique opportunity to investigate clinical research questions regarding the natural course of the disease, phenotype association studies, effectiveness of treatment, and quality of care research.