Healthcare utilization and costs in women diagnosed with endometriosis before and after diagnosis: a longitudinal analysis of claims databases.

OBJECTIVE: To assess healthcare resource utilization and costs during the 5 years before and 5 years after diagnosis among women with endometriosis, in comparison with women without endometriosis.

DESIGN: Longitudinal, retrospective, case-control study.

SETTING: None.

PATIENT(S): A total of 37,570 matched pairs of women with and without (controls) endometriosis were identified from the Truven Health MarketScan claims database (2000-2010).

INTERVENTION(S): None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Annual healthcare resource utilization and costs (in 2010 US dollars) were evaluated for the 5 years before and 5 years after diagnosis.

RESULT(S): Mean patient age at index (first diagnosis) date was 36.4 years for endometriosis patients and controls. Endometriosis patients had a higher utilization of outpatient and emergency room services during each pre- and postindex year, and a higher utilization of inpatient services during the last preindex year and all 5 postindex years. Total costs were highest in the first postindex year for endometriosis patients, reaching $13,199, compared with $3,747 for controls. Annual costs were significantly higher for patients than controls during each pre- and postindex year; overall, the cost difference was $26,305 over 10 years: $7,028 in the 5 years before diagnosis and $19,277 in the 5 years after diagnosis.

CONCLUSION(S): Endometriosis poses a significantly high economic burden, both before and after diagnosis. The highest resource utilization and costs experienced by endometriosis patients occur in the first year after diagnosis.