The LUCID Study: Living With Ulcerative Colitis; Identifying the Socioeconomic Burden in Europe

Abstract BackgroundUlcerative Colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease with increasing prevalence worldwide. Current treatment strategies place considerable economic and humanistic burdens on patients. The aim of this study was to determine the socioeconomic burden of UC in adult patients in European countries in a real-world setting.MethodsIn this retrospective, cross-sectional and observational pan-European study, patients with moderate or severe UC were assigned to ARM 1 and patients who had moderate or severe UC but achieved mild or remission status 12 months before index date (or clinical consultation date), were assigned to ARM 2. Clinical and medical resource use data were collected via electronic case report forms (eCRFs), and data on non-medical and indirect costs, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were collected via patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) questionnaires. Per-patient annual total costs per ARM and per country were calculated using the collated resource use in the last 12 months (between the start of the documentation period and patient consultation or index date) and country specific unit costs. Quality of life and was described by arm and by country. ResultsIn the physician-reported eCRF population (n=2,966), the mean annual direct medical cost was 4,065 in ARM 1 (n=1,835) and €2,935 in ARM 2 (n=1,131). In the PPIE population (ARM 1, n=1,001; ARM 2, n=647), mean annual direct cost was €4,526 in ARM 1 and €3,057 in ARM 2, mean annual direct non-medical cost was €1,162 in ARM 1 and €1,002 in ARM 2, mean annual indirect cost was €3,098 in ARM 1 and €2,309 ARM 2, and mean annual total cost was in €8,787 in ARM 1 and €6,368 in ARM 2. HRQoL scores showed moderate to high burden of UC in both groups.ConclusionsThe cost and HRQoL burden were high in patients in both ARM 1 and ARM 2 indicating unmet needs in the UC active population.