Savings on the cost of surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) were not offset by the cost of medications, according to a study presented at the 67th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology here.
In the study, costs for GERD patients treated with surgery were compared with those treated with conventional medical management.
Investigators from Boston Scientific Corporation in Natick, Massachusetts, and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio retrospectively compared the use and costs of acid reduction therapy for GERD with costs among patients who did and did not have surgery for the treatment of GERD. They also looked at non-GERD related costs.
The data were gathered from a national database of publicly and privately insured beneficiaries from January 1997 through December 2000. Paid claims were used as a proxy for medical costs, which were adjusted to reflect 2001 U.S. dollars.
The average age of both cohorts was 48 years; 54% were female; and there were no statistically significant differences in comorbid conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
השאירו תגובה
רוצה להצטרף לדיון?תרגישו חופשי לתרום!