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Impact of Loss of Work Productivity in Patients with Overactive Bladder Treated with Antimuscarinics in Spain: Study in Routine Clinical Practice Conditions

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Abstract

Background

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a syndrome characterized by presenting symptoms of urgency, with or without urge incontinence, and normally accompanied by day and night frequency.

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of lost work productivity [number of days of sick leave] in patients treated with fesoterodine versus tolterodine and solifenacin to treat OAB in Spain.

Methods

A retrospective, observational study was carried out using the records (digital databases) of actively working patients (2008–2013). The study population comprised of patients from two autonomous communities; 31 primary care centres agreed to participate. Patients who began first treatment with antimuscarinics (fesoterodine, solifenacin or tolterodine) and who met certain inclusion/exclusion criteria were included in the study. Follow-up lasted for 1 year. The main outcome measures were comorbidity, medication possession ratio (MPR), treatment persistence, and number of days of sick leave and associated costs. Indirect costs were considered to be those related to lost work productivity (number of days of sick leave, exclusively), (1) due to OAB and (2) overall total. The cost was expressed as the average cost per patient (cost/unit). Multivariate analyses (Cox, ANCOVA) were used to correct the models.

Results

A total of 3094 patients were recruited into the study; 43.0 % were treated with solifenacin, 29.2 % with tolterodine, and 27.8 % with fesoterodine. The average age of patients was 54 years (standard deviation 9.2), and 62.2 % were women. The comparison of fesoterodine versus solifenacin and tolterodine showed a higher MPR (90.0 vs. 87.0 and 86.1 %, respectively), higher treatment persistence (40.2 vs. 34.7 and 33.6 %), lower use of sick leave (22.8 vs. 52.9 and 36.7 %), total number of days of sick leave (5.1 vs. 9.7 and 9.3 days) and costs corrected for covariates (€371 vs. €703 and €683); p < 0.05.

Conclusions

Despite the possible limitations of this study, active patients who began treatment with fesoterodine to treat OAB (compared with solifenacin or tolterodine) had fewer days of sick leave, resulting in lower costs due to lost productivity.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Badalona Serveis Assistencials, Calle Gaietà Soler, 6-8 entlo, 08911, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain

    Antoni Sicras-Mainar

  2. Medical Documentation, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain

    Ruth Navarro-Artieda

  3. ib-Salut, Majorca, Spain

    Amador Ruiz-Torrejón

  4. GRECS, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain

    Marc Sáez-Zafra

  5. Research Unit, IAS, Girona, Spain

    Gabriel Coll-de Tuero

Authors
  1. Antoni Sicras-Mainar
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  2. Ruth Navarro-Artieda
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  3. Amador Ruiz-Torrejón
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Antoni Sicras-Mainar.

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Funding

No sources of funding were used for the conduct of this study.

Conflict of interest

Antoni Sicras-Mainar, Ruth Navarro-Artieda, Amador Ruiz-Torrejón, Marc Sáez-Zafra and Gabriel Coll-de Tuero have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Author contributions

Antoni Sicras-Mainar contributed to the planning and design of the manuscript, as well as data collection and statistical analysis. All authors contributed to the data interpretation, and writing, review and approval of the submitted manuscript.

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Sicras-Mainar, A., Navarro-Artieda, R., Ruiz-Torrejón, A. et al. Impact of Loss of Work Productivity in Patients with Overactive Bladder Treated with Antimuscarinics in Spain: Study in Routine Clinical Practice Conditions. Clin Drug Investig 35, 795–805 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40261-015-0342-2

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