The clinical and economic burden of systemic sclerosis related interstitial lung disease

Abstract

Objective: To quantify the burden of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in SSc. Methods: Clinical data for SSc patients enrolled in the Australian Scleroderma Cohort Study were linked with healthcare databases for the period 2008-2015. ILD was defined by characteristic fibrotic changes on high-resolution CT (HRCT) lung, while severity was defined by the extent lung involvement on HRCT (mild 30%). Determinants of healthcare cost were estimated using logistic regression. Results: SSc-ILD patients utilized more healthcare resources, including hospitalization, emergency department presentation and ambulatory care services, than those without ILD with a total cost per patient of AUD$48 368 (26 2..