Thyroid Eye Disease Diagnosis Associated With High Hospital Costs

Although hospitalizations for thyroid eye disease are rare, this diagnosis is associated with steep economic consequences for payers, according to study results presented at the 30th Annual Scientific and Clinical Congress of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (ENVISION 2021).

Study investigators reviewed the 2017 Nationwide Inpatient Sample and 2017 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample for hospitalizations and emergency department visits associated with thyroid eye disease to estimate clinical and economic consequences of the condition. Thyroid eye disease and its manifestations were identified through coding algorithms developed by 2 ophthalmic surgeons using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision.

In 2017, unweighted data were analyzed for more than 7 million hospital stays and more than 30 million emergency department visits. Thyroid eye disease was reported as a primary or secondary diagnosis for 1870 hospitalizations (50 had thyroid eye disease as a primary diagnosis). The mean age of the patients hospitalized with thyroid eye disease was 56.1 years (95% CI, 54.3-57.9), and 72% of those hospitalized were women (n=1350). The mean cost of hospitalization for patients with thyroid eye disease was $59,103 (95% CI, $50,106-$58,100). Medicare or Medicaid covered 72.6% of hospitalizations.

There were 3494 emergency department visits in 2017 associated with a primary or secondary diagnosis of thyroid eye disease (552 had thyroid eye disease as a primary diagnosis). The mean age of patients visiting the emergency department was 51.8 years (95% CI, 50.4-53.2), and 77% of those hospitalized were women (n=2699). The mean cost of emergency department visits was $6,018 (95% CI, $5,115-$6,922). Medicare or Medicaid covered 59.5% of visits to the emergency department.

The aggregate cost to treat patients with a primary or secondary diagnosis of thyroid eye disease in an inpatient or emergency department setting exceeded $135.5 million in 2017. The investigators concluded that although thyroid eye disease is rare, it has a significant economic impact.

Reference

Singh G, Sehgal M, Mithal A, Kossler A. Thyroid eye disease in the United States: data from emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Presented at: 2021 AACE Virtual Annual Meeting, May 26-29, 2021.