Costs and Quality of Life in Diabetic Macular Edema: Canadian Burden of Diabetic Macular Edema Observational Study (C-REALITY)
Table 2
DME-related health resource utilization over 6 months.
Resource
Cost, $CAN 2010/2011
Patients ()
Mean # per patient across all patients ()
%
Drug treatment
Steroid injection
223.15/injection
15
11.1
0.24
Anti-VEGF injection
781.27/injection
39
28.9
1.31
Treatment of adverse events
Brimonidine/timolol
1.44/day
1
0.7
Moxifloxacin
6.29/day
11
8.2
Therapy
Laser photocoagulation
187.25/procedure
77
57.0
1.14
Surgical vitrectomy/epiretinal membrane peel
892.03/procedure
8
5.9
0.06
Procedures
Fluorescein angiography
23.20/procedure
22
16.3
0.16
Optical coherence tomography
70.00/procedure
78
57.8
1.21
Fundus photography
35.00/procedure
17
12.6
0.33
Healthcare professionals
Ophthalmologist
71.30/initial visit; 50.00/subsequent visit
51
37.8
1.33
Retinal specialist
71.30/initial visit; 50.00/subsequent visit
106
78.5
3.11
Optometrist
47.00/visit
25
18.5
0.26
Family doctor
33.10/visit
19
14.1
0.19
Nurse
35.90/visit
1
0.7
0.01
CNIB
135.54/visit
1
0.7
0.01
Home care
53.71/visit
2
1.5
0.23
ER visit by ambulance
876.29/visit
1
0.7
0.01
Use of medical device
10.80–350.00/device
43
31.9
NA
Patient missed days from work due to DME
185.40/day
18
12.7
0.48
Caregiver missed days from work due to patient’s DME
185.40/day
15
10.6
0.16
Patients may have received more than one therapy. Medications prescribed for the prevention of complications such as medications given as prophylaxis for endophthalmitis. Mean duration of treatment: 90 days. Mean duration of treatment: 13.2 days. Costs varied depending on device, for example, $10.80 for safety glasses and $350 for new glasses prescription charge. CNIB: Canadian National Institute for the Blind; DME: diabetic macular edema; ER: emergency room; NA: not applicable; VEGF: vascular endothelial growth factor.
