• DOI:10.3928/23258160-20160229-09
• Corpus ID: 13307613

Diabetic Macular Edema Diagnosis and Treatment in the Real World: An Analysis of Medicare Claims Data (2008 to 2010).

@article{Dugel2016DiabeticME,
  title={Diabetic Macular Edema Diagnosis and Treatment in the Real World: An Analysis of Medicare Claims Data (2008 to 2010).},
  author={Pravin U. Dugel and Andrew J Layton and Rohit Varma},
  journal={Ophthalmic surgery, lasers \& imaging retina},
  year={2016},
  volume={47 3},
  pages={
          258-67
        }
}

• P. Dugel, A. Layton, R. Varma
• Published 18 March 2016
• Medicine
• Ophthalmic surgery, lasers & imaging retina

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
To characterize vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor treatment patterns in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) using a Medicare Standard Analytic Files Part B or Outpatient Claims database to understand treatment frequency and DME persistence.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
A retrospective analysis of treatment patterns for patients diagnosed with DME receiving their first anti-VEGF injection was performed.

RESULTS
The average number of anti-VEGF injection claims for DME per patient rose from 3.1 to 4.6 per year (mean: 4.2). Within 1 year of diagnosis, 46% of patients received their final DME diagnosis (mean: 1.9 anti-VEGF claims), and 65% of patients received their final anti-VEGF treatment for DME. Patients who received treatment for DME through years 2 and 3 submitted a mean of four and 7.2 anti-VEGF claims, respectively.

CONCLUSION
VEGF inhibitor treatment was less frequent than in landmark trials, but did resolve DME in a proportion of patients.