Medical costs associated with heart failure [HF] are largely driven by hospitalization costs, according to a recent systematic review published in PharmacoEconomics (2020;38[11]:1219-1236. doi:10.1007/s40273-020-00952-0).
Data describing costs associated with HF are required to inform economic evaluations of new therapeutic interventions. “This systematic literature review of heart failure-related costs in the USA aimed to assess the quality of the published evidence and provide a narrative synthesis of current data,” wrote study authors.
Journal articles published between January 2014 and March 2020 were searched in 4 electronic databases. Studies were screened and selected if they reported cost of illness in adults with HF in the United States. Data were extracted on study characteristics, study methods, and cost outcomes and performed by one reviewer with a second reviewer conducting a quality check. Costs reported in the studies were adjusted for inflation and categorized as total medical costs, HF-specific hospitalization costs, post-discharge costs, readmission costs, outpatient costs, and other medical costs.
The review found that the annual median total medical costs for HF care were estimated at $24,383 per patient, with HF-specific hospitalizations driving costs (median $15,879 per patient). Subgroup analyses determined that HF-related costs vary widely by patient characteristics. Limited data were found from perspectives other than the payer and health care sector with a lack of standardized reporting, which made it difficult to compare costs estimates. Researchers also found that costs vary among different HF types, so a differentiation among these in costs analysis is required.
“There is a large amount of disparate data on medical costs as a result of HF; however, to better inform cost analyses, the nuances of these data need to be better understood,” concluded the study authors. “This could be achieved through improved and standardized reporting of data.”—Lisa Kuhns
