Direct costs associated to the clinical management of patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in Brazil: an analysis of the Private Healthcare System

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the cost of outpatient care and hospitalization of individuals with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in the Brazilian Supplementary Health System (BSHS). Methods: A retrospective analysis of the direct costs of SLE was performed using a Bank data covering approximately 13 million lives in BSHS. Individuals with SLE were identified from January 2010 to July 2011 and expenditures were analyzed for 24 months from the identification. Results: 2.489 individuals with SLE were identified, resulting in a prevalence of 18/100.000. The subjects were divided into two groups: Low to moderate Economic Impact (BM-IE) and High Economic Impact (A-IE) representing 80% and 20% of the total study population respectively. Within the group of subjects A-IE, was considered the subgroup of individuals with high disease activity, those with at least one record of using the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). This subgroup (n=109) represented 22% of subjects and 56% of the spending in the group A-IE, and also 4,4% of the total SLE individuals and 50% of total cost. The total annual cost was R$14.984.741,00 being that 88% of this amount was related to A-IE group. Conclusions: The direct costs with SLE patients in the SSSB in Brazil are important. This study shows that SLE patients with episodes of disease exacerbation, in some cases with CTI use, were accounted for most of the cost.