Economics of Emergency Department Visits by Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Real-World Analysis

Kofi Clarke, Arsh Momin, Michelle Rosario, August Stuart, Shannon Dalessio, Andrew Tinsley, Emmanuelle Williams, Matthew Coates

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with significant psychosocial, economic, and physical burden on patients. IBD care in the United States results in significant healthcare expenditure with recurring emergency department (ED) care and hospital admissions. Despite advances in therapy and improved access to specialty care, there is still room for improvement in cost-efficient care. Specialty medical homes and interdisciplinary care models have emerged as ways to improve medical care, patient outcomes, and quality of life, as well as improve the impact of healthcare costs. There is limited real-world data on cost in the United States, with many articles citing cost estimates from models. Methods: We analyzed real-world data from our tertiary care center with a focus on recurrent ED visits by IBD patients. Descriptive statistics were used for a cost analysis of multiple ED visits by IBD patients. Patients with ≥4 visits to the ED in a 6-month period were described as SuperUsers and were included in a separate analysis. The cost of hospitalization was also included. Results: Total cost associated with all ED visits from SuperUsers were $72 999.57 with an average of $6636.32 per patient. When the patients were admitted, the total cost of ED visits and hospitalizations was $721 461.52, with an average of $65 587.41 per patient. Conclusions: ED utilization by IBD patients with or without hospitalization is expensive and is typically driven by a cohort of SuperUsers. More work needs to be done to improve cost-effectiveness in IBD care, including reducing the frequency of ED visits.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numberotae029
JournalCrohn's and Colitis 360
Volume6
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1 2024

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Gastroenterology

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