Healthcare Resource Utilisation Among Chronic Spontaneous/Idiopathic Urticaria Patients-Findings From The First International Burden Of Illness Study (Assure-Csu)

There are limited data on healthcare resource utilisation associated with inadequately controlled chronic spontaneous (idiopathic) urticaria (CSU/CIU) patients. ASSURE-CSU is an observational, multinational study conducted to identify and quantify burden of illness in these patients. Data on resource utilisation for Canada, Germany, UK and the Netherlands are summarised. This study included a 1-year retrospective medical record abstraction and a cross-sectional patient-reported outcomes survey. Adult CSU/CIU patients with disease persisting for ≥12 months despite treatment were assessed. Data on resource utilisation were extracted from patient medical records, and reported descriptively. Medical records were abstracted for 99 patients each in Canada and the Netherlands, 100 in Germany and 83 in the UK. In Canada, 83% patients had one or more visits to a health care professional (HCP) with a total mean (SD) of 3.1 (2.57) annual visits. In the prior 12 months, visits to allergists and dermatologists were reported by 72% and 11% patients. In Germany, 52% patients visited HCPs [annual visits: 3.3 (3.81)]. Hospitalisations and emergency room (ER) visits were reported by 18% and 15% patients. Allergists and dermatologists were visited by 33% and 31% patients. In UK, 86% patients visited HCPs [annual visits: 3.7 (2.68)]. Dermatologists were seen by 54% patients, allergists by 30% and hospital nurses by 10%. HCPs were visited by 87% patients in the Netherlands [annual visits: 4.1 (3.87)]. Visits to dermatologists, allergists and other consultants were reported by 51%, 42% and 13% patients. ER visits and hospitalisations were less frequent in Canada, the UK and the Netherlands compared with Germany. This is the first study to quantify resource utilisation associated with inadequately controlled CSU/CIU. The types of medical resources differ among the countries depending on the local healthcare specificities. Resource utilisation pattern was primarily outpatient but varied across countries.