Geographic Variations in Healthcare Utilization and Expenditure for Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Population-Based Approach.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common and costly health problem in the United States. A better understanding of healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and healthcare expenditure (HCE) pertaining to CRS is required. The objective of this study is to investigate geographic variations in HCRU and HCE for CRS.

STUDY TYPE/DESIGN: Retrospective study of administrative database.

METHODS

Patients meeting pre-defined diagnostic criteria for CRS with continuous 1-year pre-index and 2-year post-index data were identified on IBM® Marketscan Research Databases over a 5-year period (2013-2017). Data pertaining to demographics, HCRU, and HCE were analyzed according to geographic region. Multivariable generalized linear models accounted for age, sex, baseline medication utilization, and co-morbidities.

RESULTS

About 237,969 patients were included. Antibiotics were the most commonly prescribed medication (95%). Surgery rate (11%), immunotherapy (9.2%), oral steroid use (66%), and antibiotic utilization (mean 6.3 prescriptions) were highest in the South. However, visits with an otolaryngologist were considerably higher in the Northeast (62%). The Northeast region had the highest mean HCE ($2,449), which was 13% greater than HCE for the North Central region ($2,172). HCRU and HCE were higher in urban areas across all metrics, with 2-year HCE being 18% greater in urban areas ($2,374 vs. $2,019). Significant geographic variation in HCE was observed even after adjusting for covariates.

CONCLUSION

Significant geographic variations in HCRU and HCE exist for CRS even after adjusting for covariates. Future studies are needed to help direct quality improvement and cost-saving efforts as well as efficient resource allocation in an era of value-based care.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

4 Laryngoscope, 131:2641-2648, 2021.