Indian Outpatients with Idiopathic Chronic Pancreatitis Have Catastrophic Healthcare Expenditure, Malnutrition, Anxiety/Depression and Work-Impairment

Introduction There is paucity of data regarding economic burden, employment affection, psychological and nutritional status of CP patients, of non-alcoholic etiology, especially during their periods of stable disease, i.e., without any complications and/or recent endoscopic/surgical interventions. Methods In a prospective cohort study, conducted in outpatient clinic of a tertiary-care hospital, 66 consecutive adults with Idiopathic CP (± diabetes) and 152 matched (by age, socioeconomic status and monthly income) healthy controls were assessed for: (1) healthcare expenses in previous month by recall (catastrophic if > 40% of income); (2) nutritional status by anthropometry and food frequency questionnaire; (3) psychological status by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); and (4) work-impairment by work productivity and activity impairment questionnaire: general health (WPAI-GH). CP patients were again reassessed for the above parameters after 6 and 12 month, respectively. Results Seventy-six percent CP patients (vis-à-vis 0% controls) had catastrophic healthcare expenditure. Forty-nine percent of CP patients(vis-à-vis 0% controls) met their healthcare expenses by either selling assets or obtaining loans at high-interest or from charitable donations. CP patients had lower BMI, were more likely to be malnourished and had a lower calorie intake vis-à-vis controls (median (IQR) recommended daily allowance (RDA): 71(19)% vs 97(23)%; [ p < 0.0001]). Their median HADS Anxiety and depression scores were significantly higher than controls. Thirty-one (47%) CP patients were employed vis-a-vis 102 (67%) controls ( p = 0.006); they had significantly higher work impairment. After one year, there was improvement in some of these above parameters in CP patients. Conclusion Idiopathic CP outpatients had catastrophic healthcare expenditure, malnutrition, abnormal psychological scores and work-impairment vis-à-vis healthy controls. Some of these parameters improved on follow-up.