OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were: 1) to determine the total costs of
care and costs related to lower GI-related problems for patients who recei
ved a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and 2) to compare them t
o age- and sex-matched population controls and patients treated for inflamm
atory bowel disease (IBD) or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
METHODS: Use and cost data were obtained through the computerized informati
on systems of a large staff-model health maintenance organization on three
groups of patients diagnosed in 1994 or 1995 with 113S, IBD, or GERD; and a
n C, age- and sex-matched control group of patients without any Zn of these
listed diagnoses. The IBS patient group was compared to the three comparis
on groups on components of total and IBS-related costs.
RESULTS: Total costs of care for IBS patients were 49% higher than populati
on controls during the year starting with the visit at which IBS patients w
ere identified. In the index year, every component of total costs except in
patient care was significantly higher for IBS patients than for population
controls. The costs of care for lower GI problems were significantly higher
for patients with IBS than for population controls across a range of servi
ces. However, only 33% of the difference in total costs of care between IBS
patients and population controls was due to lower GI-related services in t
he index year. In the subsequent years, lower GI-related services accounted
for 18% and 20% of the total cost difference between IBS patients and popu
lation controls. The total costs of care as well as the components of costs
of care were generally higher for IBD patients than for IBS patients, but
were comparable for GERD and IBS patients.
CONCLUSIONS: Patients with IBS show sustained increases in health care cost
s relative to population controls for both lower GI services and care unrel
ated to lower GI problems. However, the majority of the excess in health ca
re costs resulted from medical care not directly related to lower GI proble
ms. (C) 2001 by Am. Coll. of Gastroenterology.