Paul G Barnett1, Jennifer Y Scott, Robert A Rosenheck. 1. Health Economics Resource Center, VA Cooperative Studies Program, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, 795 Willow Road (152), Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. paul.barnett@va.gov
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:Patients with schizophrenia enrolled in a trial of long-acting injectable risperidone at multiple sites of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). We considered if the trial participants were representative of the targeted group of high-utilization patients with poor adherence to anti-psychotics. METHODS:Participants' characteristics, health services utilization, and cost in the year prior to randomization were compared to a randomly selected time-matched cohort of 10,000 other patients with schizophrenia who were not in the trial. RESULTS: There were few differences in the characteristics, utilization, or cost between trial participants and non-participants who met the key trial inclusion criterion of a history of psychiatric hospitalization in the prior 24 months. Trial participants were more likely to be African-American (45.5% vs. 35.1%, p<.001) and were less likely to have had a medical-surgical hospitalization in the study year (8.2% vs. 19.2% p<.001). Compared to non-participants who did not meet the inclusion criterion, trial participants were more likely to have a psychiatric condition in addition to schizophrenia (81.0% vs. 51.3%, p<.001), more likely to have a substance abuse disorder (46.3% vs. 13.9% p<.001), and less likely to be adherent with their anti-psychotic medication (21.3% vs. 37.9%, p<.001). They also incurred more than three times the annual cost ($42,563 vs. $12,270, p<.001). CONCLUSIONS:Trial participants appeared to be representative of the 23.3% of VHA patients with schizophrenia who met the key trial inclusion criterion, suggesting that trial findings will be relevant to the broader group of high risk patients. Published by Elsevier B.V.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE:Patients with schizophrenia enrolled in a trial of long-acting injectable risperidone at multiple sites of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). We considered if the trial participants were representative of the targeted group of high-utilization patients with poor adherence to anti-psychotics. METHODS:Participants' characteristics, health services utilization, and cost in the year prior to randomization were compared to a randomly selected time-matched cohort of 10,000 other patients with schizophrenia who were not in the trial. RESULTS: There were few differences in the characteristics, utilization, or cost between trial participants and non-participants who met the key trial inclusion criterion of a history of psychiatric hospitalization in the prior 24 months. Trial participants were more likely to be African-American (45.5% vs. 35.1%, p<.001) and were less likely to have had a medical-surgical hospitalization in the study year (8.2% vs. 19.2% p<.001). Compared to non-participants who did not meet the inclusion criterion, trial participants were more likely to have a psychiatric condition in addition to schizophrenia (81.0% vs. 51.3%, p<.001), more likely to have a substance abuse disorder (46.3% vs. 13.9% p<.001), and less likely to be adherent with their anti-psychotic medication (21.3% vs. 37.9%, p<.001). They also incurred more than three times the annual cost ($42,563 vs. $12,270, p<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Trial participants appeared to be representative of the 23.3% of VHA patients with schizophrenia who met the key trial inclusion criterion, suggesting that trial findings will be relevant to the broader group of high risk patients. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Authors: Haya Ascher-Svanum; Diego Novick; Josep Maria Haro; Jordan Bertsch; David McDonnell; Holland Detke Journal: Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat Date: 2014-06-20 Impact factor: 2.570