Burden, Treatment Patterns and Unmet Needs of Osteoarthritis in Dubai: a Retrospective Analysis of the Dubai Real-World Claims Database

Introduction Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that impacts 3.3–3.6% of population globally with significant health and societal impact. The current study assessed the disease burden, treatment patterns, and healthcare resource utilisation (HCRU) and costs in patients with OA and subgroups of hip and/or knee OA, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methodology This retrospective longitudinal case–control study collected OA-related data from January 1, 2014 to May 31, 2020 from the Dubai Real-World Claims Database (DRWD). Adults aged at least 18 years old with OA diagnosis and at least two claims and continuous enrolment during the study period were included in the study. The patients with OA were 1:1 matched with individuals without OA. The patients with OA were divided into four cohorts on the basis of an a priori algorithm: OA of the hip and/or knee (cohort 1) and (difficult-to-treat) subsets of patients with moderate-to-severe OA of the hip and/or knee (cohort 2), inadequate response or inability to tolerate at least three pain-related medications (cohort 3), and contraindications to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (cohort 4). Results Disease burden of OA in Dubai and HCRU and treatment costs in patients with OA were evaluated from January 1, 2014 to May 31, 2021. Patients were compared with matched controls in 1:1 ratio. The overall cohort comprised 11,651 patients with a median age of 48 years and predominantly male population (61.6%). HCRU was calculated for each cohort and it was highest (United States dollar [USD] 11,354.39) in cohort 4 (patients with contraindication to NSAIDS); in cohort 3 (inability to respond to at least three pain-related medications), USD 495.30 and USD 765.14 were spent on medication and procedures, respectively. Highest cost burden was seen in cohort 4, USD 3120.49 on consumables and USD 228.18 on services. Conclusion Osteoarthritis imposes a substantial healthcare and economic burden in the UAE. The study findings elucidate the unmet need among patients with difficult-to-treat OA and inform development of new therapeutics to alleviate their burden.