Patterns of glucocorticoid prescribing and provider-level variation in a commercially insured incident rheumatoid arthritis population: A retrospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Glucocorticoids are common in RA management despite an unfavorable, exposure-dependent risk profile impacted by patient and provider-level factors. Existing work describing glucocorticoid use in RA is not generalizable and does not adequately examine provider factors. We aim to describe how providers prescribe glucocorticoids to commercially insured, newly diagnosed RA patients in the United States.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study which used the national Optum© administrative database. We identified 9221 adults ages 18-65 with RA diagnosed 2010-2014. We assessed glucocorticoid dispensing 3 months pre-diagnosis through 12months post-diagnosis ("study period"), cumulatively stratified by calendar quarter and prescriber specialty (rheumatologist, primary

SUBMITTER: Wallace BI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7060094 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature