Real-World Healthcare Resource Utilization, Healthcare Costs, and Injurious Falls Among Elderly Patients with Geographic Atrophy

Purpose: This study assessed the clinical and economic burden of geographic atrophy (GA) using real-world data from elderly patients with Medicare Advantage plans in the United States.

Patients and methods: A retrospective cohort design of patients with GA only, GA + visual impairment (GA + VI), GA + blindness (GA + B), and patients without GA were identified using administrative healthcare claims data from Optum Clinformatics Data Mart. Inverse probability of treatment weighting controlled for confounding when comparing patients with GA only vs without GA, GA + VI vs GA only, and GA + B vs GA only. Endpoints included all-cause and ophthalmic condition-related healthcare resource utilization (HRU), injurious falls, and healthcare costs. HRU and injurious falls were assessed per-person-per-year and per 100 person-years, respectively. Cohorts were compared using rate ratios, 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and p-values from weighted Poisson regression models. Healthcare costs were evaluated per-person-per-year using mean cost differences, 95% CIs, and p-values from weighted linear regression.

Results: The study included 18,119 patients with GA only, 2,285 with GA + VI, 1,716 with GA + B, and 72,476 patients without GA. Higher rates of all-cause hospitalizations (RR [95% CI]: 1.08 [1.03, 1.12]), outpatient visits (1.08 [1.05, 1.10]), other visits (1.14 [1.08, 1.21]), and falls with head injuries (1.24 [1.05, 1.45]) were observed in patients with GA vs without GA (P<0.05). GA was associated with higher annual all-cause total healthcare costs, spending an average of $1,171 more after adjustment (P<0.05). Progression to GA + VI and GA + B was associated with a more pronounced burden.

Conclusion: The clinical and economic burden of GA is substantial and escalates as the disease advances. These findings suggest early intervention aimed at slowing GA progression may help to mitigate the healthcare burden associated with advancement of GA to visual impairment and blindness.