A description of health care provision and access to treatment for women with urinary incontinence in Europe — A five-country comparison

BACKGROUND

Female urinary incontinence is a prevalent condition, but only about one-third of women seek treatment.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the health care provision for women with urinary incontinence from a European perspective, selecting France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom as examples, and to investigate whether specific barriers for treatment exist.

METHODS

Available health care system information, a literature review and clinical expert information identified patterns of treatment provision.

RESULTS

In Spain, Sweden, and the UK, access to medical care in general is primarily through the general practitioners. However, in Spain and Sweden, women with urinary incontinence can directly visit specialists. In France and Germany, women have equal access to either general practitioners or specialists. Aside from general practitioners, gynaecologists play a major role in urinary incontinence care in all countries except the UK. In Germany, urologists are also involved in initial female urinary incontinence care; however, only in about 16% of women. There are no waiting lists in France and Germany for appointments with physicians or procedures, contrary to Spain, which has long waiting lists. Access to general practitioners in the UK is unrestricted whereas advanced diagnosis and treatment in secondary care requires long waits. A specific Swedish policy mandates that no woman is required to wait longer than 3 months for incontinence visits and related surgery. In Sweden and the UK, specialist nurses and other health care workers provide incontinence services. Almost all treatment options for urinary incontinence are at least in part reimbursed. However, various co-payments and fees in France, Germany, Spain and Sweden exist and constitute out-of-pocket expenses for women if no complementary additional private health insurance is available. In some countries, financial incentives for physicians to provide incontinence services are low, raising concerns about their interest to engage in continued patient care.

CONCLUSIONS

Information about service provision in Europe for women with urinary incontinence is limited and makes it difficult to understand barriers to treatment seeking. A broad European perspective may promote optimised treatment access in the future for this widespread and under-recognised condition.

Medical resource utilisation and cost of care for women seeking treatment for urinary incontinence in an outpatient setting

OBJECTIVE

To describe the medical resource use and direct costs of treatment for women with urinary incontinence (UI) in European countries.

DESIGN

PURE is a non-interventional, observational study of patients seeking treatment for UI in an outpatient setting.

SETTING

Investigators being either general practitioners (GPs) and/or specialists, i.e. urologists and gynaecologists, in 14 European countries participated in PURE. The results for medical resource use and cost of treatment in Germany, Spain and the UK/Ireland recorded retrospectively at the enrolment visit for the preceding 12 months are presented here.

SUBJECTS

Treatment-seeking women aged over 18 years who were under treatment or seeking treatment for UI, and who presented within the normal course of care for UI were enrolled in the 6 months study.

MEASUREMENTS

Information on the incontinence resource use was gathered on standard data collection forms. The direct medical costs were calculated by attaching the unit costs from the perspective of the relevant health insurance in each country to the country-specific resource use. Furthermore, the contribution of patients to the costs of pads, or any treatment for UI was assessed.

RESULTS

Variation in medical resource use and cost of treatment between the three countries was observed, reflective of the differences in the healthcare systems and whether specialists and/or GPs provided the care. We found that women in Spain and Germany are more likely to have consulted a specialist for their UI symptoms, which had implications for utilisation of diagnostic procedures. Conservative treatment, particularly pelvis floor muscle exercises, was more common in patients in the UK/Ireland treated in primary care by GPs. In all three countries most of the women had used protective pads, which more than half the patients paying for them out-of-pocket, despite potential healthcare reimbursement schemes. Mean total UI-related costs per year ranged from 359 in the UK/Ireland for patients predominantly treated in the GP setting to 515 in Germany and 655 in Spain for patients treated by specialists and GPs.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides an estimation of resource use and costs associated with UI in treatment-seeking European women, exemplified here in three countries.

Characteristics of female outpatients with urinary incontinence participating in a 6-month observational study in 14 European countries

OBJECTIVE

To describe the characteristics of women seeking treatment for symptoms of urinary incontinence (UI) in European countries.

DESIGN

Prospective urinary incontinence research (PURE) was a 6-month, observational, pan-European study, primarily aimed at determining the direct costs of urinary incontinence treatment. The secondary objectives of PURE were to describe the impact of UI on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in treatment seeking patients and to illustrate the treatment patterns for UI in Europe.

SETTING

One thousand and Fifty-five physicians from 14 European countries, including general practitioners (GPs), gynaecologists, urologists and geriatricians, observed women seeking treatment for their UI and recorded data at the first observation and then prospectively at 3 and 6 months after the first observation during the normal course of therapy.

SUBJECTS

Women of at least 18 years of age who had experienced urinary leakage in the 12 months prior to enrolment in the study, who were seeking treatment or under treatment for UI and who presented within the normal course of UI care were included in the 6 months study. The first observation characteristics of the patients are described here.

METHODS

Demographic characteristics, as well as disease and treatment status at first observation were explored using descriptive summary statistics to gain an understanding of the population studied.

RESULTS

In total, 9487 women took part in PURE, with the largest patient groups from Germany, Spain and the UK/Ireland. The majority of women were post-menopausal and had a mean age of 60.7 years, were not current smokers and tended to be overweight (BMI > 25.0). Overall, mixed UI symptoms were more common than SUI and UUI, as defined by clinical opinion (SUI 38%, MUI 42% and UUI 18%), and by a two-item questionnaire, the S/UIQ (SUI 29%, MUI 58% and UUI 13%). Around half of the patients (48%) suffered from their symptoms for less than 2 years before consulting a physician; 28% delayed seeking treatment for 3-5 years, with 13% waiting for 6-10 years and the remaining 11% waiting for 11 or more years.

CONCLUSIONS

Some of the described patients' characteristics may provide important information to clinicians to enable them to take a more active approach to case-finding, which will ultimately benefit the incontinent patient.

Health-related consequences of overactive bladder: an economic perspective

About 34 million people in the USA have an overactive bladder (OAB), a condition characterized by urinary urgency, with or without urinary incontinence, and usually frequency and nocturia. This condition is associated with increased health risks (e.g. urinary tract infection, falls and fall-related injuries, including broken bones), as well as admission to nursing homes and prolonged hospital stays. The annual costs associated with OAB in the community setting are >9 billion dollars, including 2.9 billion dollars for diagnosis and treatment, 1.5 billion dollars for routine care, 3.9 billion dollars for treatment of health-related consequences, and 841 million dollars in lost productivity. These cost patterns raise the possibility that treating OAB at an early stage may both improve patient care and minimize overall use of healthcare resources. However, before a thorough economic analysis of OAB can be undertaken, more data are needed about the long-term costs and the pathogenesis of OAB-related conditions.

Clinical and cost-effectiveness of a new nurse-led continence service: a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Continence services in the UK have developed at different rates within differing care models, resulting in scattered and inconsistent services. Consequently, questions remain about the most cost-effective method of delivering these services.

AIM

To evaluate the impact of a new service led by a continence nurse practitioner compared with existing primary/secondary care provision for people with urinary incontinence and storage symptoms.

DESIGN OF STUDY

Randomised controlled trial with a 3- and 6-month follow-up in men and women (n = 3746) aged 40 years and over living in private households (intervention [n = 2958]; control [n = 788]).

SETTING

Leicestershire and Rutland, UK.

METHOD

The continence nurse practitioner intervention comprised a continence service provided by specially trained nurses delivering evidence-based interventions using predetermined care pathways. They delivered an 8-week primary intervention package that included advice on diet and fluids; bladder training; pelvic floor awareness and lifestyle advice. The standard care arm comprised access to existing primary care including GP and continence advisory services in the area. Outcome measures were recorded at 3 and 6 months post-randomisation.

RESULTS

The percentage of individuals who improved (with at least one symptom alleviated) at 3 months was 59% in the intervention group compared with 48% in the standard care group (difference of 11%, 95% CI = 7 to 16; P<0.001) The percentage of people reporting no symptoms or 'cured' was 25% in the intervention group and 15% in the standard care group (difference of 10%, 95% CI = 6 to 13, P = 0.001). At 6 months the difference was maintained. There was a significant difference in impact scores between the two groups at 3 and 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS

The continence nurse practitioner-led intervention reduced the symptoms of incontinence, frequency, urgency and nocturia at 3 and 6 months; impact was reduced; and satisfaction with the new service was high.

Employees with overactive bladder: work loss burden

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed the indirect work loss costs to employers as the result of employees with overactive bladder (OAB).

METHODS

Study samples were drawn from an administrative database of 1.2 million beneficiaries, including medical and disability claims (1999-2002). OAB employees were compared with matched employees without OAB.

RESULTS

OAB was associated with higher annual occurrences of work loss (P < 0.01). Employees with OAB had 2.2 excess work loss days as the result of medically related absenteeism and 3.4 excess days as the result of disability compared with employees without OAB (P < 0.01 for both comparisons). Employees with OAB had increased risk of disability (P < 0.01), and female employees with OAB had a higher risk of disability than male employees (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that OAB was associated with work loss costs to employers resulting from increased number of employee sick days and increased risk of employee disability.

Costs associated with the management of overactive bladder and related comorbidities

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the clinical and economic impact of overactive bladder (OAB) on the management of related comorbidities in a managed care population.

DESIGN

Retrospective analysis of a claims database.

SETTING

A large managed care organization in the United States.

PATIENTS

A total of 11,556 patients with OAB who were aged 18 years or older and 11,556 control subjects without OAB who were matched on propensity score.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Patients and controls were identified from July 1-December 31, 2001, and followed for 360 days. The propensity score for matching controls was estimated based on patient demographics and diagnosis of important clinical conditions during a 180-day preindex period. Medical claims were examined for any diagnosis of the studied comorbidities. Submitted medical charges for claims with a primary or secondary diagnosis of the studied comorbidities were analyzed. Prevalence and medical charges for depression, skin infections, and vulvovaginitis were compared between patients with OAB and control subjects by using chi2 and t tests. Prevalence and medical charges for falls and fractures, urinary tract infections (UTIs), and any comorbidity were compared by using logistic regression and general linear modeling, to adjust for additional confounders not included in the matching process. Prevalence of all comorbid conditions was significantly higher (p<0.0001) for patients with OAB than for control subjects: falls and fractures, 25.3% versus 16.1%; depression, 10.5% versus 4.9%; UTIs, 28.0% versus 8.4%; skin infections, 3.9% versus 2.3%; vulvovaginitis, 4.7% versus 1.8%; any of these comorbidities, 52.1% versus 27.9%. Mean annual medical charges were significantly higher for patients than for controls for all comorbidities: falls and fractures, $934 versus $598 (p<0.0001); depression, $93 versus $23 (p<0.0001); UTIs, $603 versus $176 (p<0.0001); skin infections, $67 versus $10 (p=0.002); vulvovaginitis, $11 versus $3 (p<0.0001); any comorbidity, $1689 versus $829 (p<0.0001).

CONCLUSION

This study quantifies the increased prevalence of and additional medical costs associated with related comorbidities in patients with OAB, emphasizing that the economic and clinical impact of OAB extends beyond the disease itself. Thus, management of patients with OAB should be of greater focus with both clinicians and health care payers.

Treatment of overactive bladder: a model comparing extended-release formulations of tolterodine and oxybutynin

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to compare 1-year total healthcare costs for patients with overactive bladder (OAB) initiating treatment with extended-release formulations of tolterodine and oxybutynin: tolterodine tartrate extended-release capsules (tolterodine ER) versus extended-release oxybutynin chloride (oxybutynin ER).

METHODS

A model was developed from the payer perspective using data from the PharMetrics Patient-Centric database. Monthly discontinuation rates were derived from a cohort of newly treated patients with OAB (tolterodine ER, n = 15 394 or oxybutynin ER, n = 7934). All were assumed to be receiving therapy for at least 1 month. Medical management costs were based on reimbursement for all services for a matched cohort of patients taking tolterodine ER and oxybutynin ER. Medical management costs for those discontinuing therapy were based on patients receiving OAB care without pharmacotherapy (n = 29 992). Drug costs were from AnalySource (December 2004).

RESULTS

After the 11-month follow-up period, 21% of patients taking tolterodine ER and 15% of patients taking oxybutynin ER remained on original therapy. One-year average total costs per patient for those started on tolterodine ER were dollar 8876 and dollar 9080 for oxybutynin ER, a difference of dollar 204 per year. Sensitivity analyses indicated results were robust to changes in drug cost and probability of discontinuation. When discontinuation rates were held equal, cost differences continued to favor tolterodine ER (21%, dollar 272/yr; 15%, dollar 233/yr).

CONCLUSION

Those taking tolterodine ER had lower monthly drug and medical management costs. This resulted in a total average annual cost savings of dollar 204 per patient for those started on tolterodine ER. At the end of 1 year, patients with OAB were more likely to remain on original drug treatment taking tolterodine ER versus oxybutynin ER.

Medical costs after initiation of drug treatment for overactive bladder: effects of selection bias on cost estimates

OBJECTIVES

To compare posttreatment medical costs for patients with overactive bladder (OAB) initiating treatment with oxybutynin chloride immediate release (oxybutynin IR), oxybutynin chloride extended release (oxybutynin ER), or tolterodine extended-release tartrate capsules (tolterodine ER).

METHODS

Data were drawn from administrative claims of enrollees aged 18 years and older of a large US health plan. OAB patients were identified if at least 1 claim with an International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) code for OAB appeared in medical claims from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2002. The index prescription was assigned as the first filled prescription of oxybutynin IR (n = 3052), oxybutynin ER (n = 4503), or tolterodine ER (n = 7027) during the subject identification period. Medical costs over the year after initiation were calculated as a function of the health plan and member liability. Independent variables were treatment cohort, sex, age group, geographic region, baseline costs, specific OAB diagnosis codes, and comorbid illnesses. To compare medical costs across treatment cohorts, multivariate regressions correcting for potential selection bias were used.

RESULTS

Multivariate analysis results revealed that costs for patients taking oxybutynin IR were 48% higher than costs for patients taking tolterodine ER (P = .026), and costs for patients taking oxybutynin ER were 191% higher than costs for patients taking tolterodine ER (P <.0001). Adjusted medical costs were dollar 7486 for patients taking oxybutynin IR and dollar 14 766 for patients taking oxybutynin ER compared with dollar 5074 for patients taking tolterodine ER.

CONCLUSION

Differences in medical costs that remained after adjusting for patient characteristics suggest that treatment with tolterodine ER may be associated with lower medical care utilization after initiation of therapy for OAB.

Economic impact of extended-release tolterodine versus immediate- and extended-release oxybutynin among commercially insured persons with overactive bladder

OBJECTIVE

To examine levels of persistence and compliance as well as the economic impact of extended-release tolterodine (tolterodine ER) versus immediate- and extended-release oxybutynin (oxybutynin IR or oxybutynin ER) among commercially-insured patients with overactive bladder (OAB).

METHODS

Patients with OAB who initiated tolterodine ER, oxybutynin IR, or oxybutynin ER between January 2001 and December 2002 were identified from the PharMetrics Patient-Centric database; the first medication used in this timeframe was used for treatment group assignment (ie, patients were only in 1 group). Exploratory assessment of persistency and compliance was conducted among all treated patients: subjects were matched 1:1 based on the estimated propensity score for tolterodine ER in remaining analyses. Measures included patient characteristics as well as levels of medication, outpatient and inpatient resource utilization, and costs. Primary comparisons were made descriptively; costs were evaluated using generalized linear models with a gamma distribution and log-link function.

RESULTS

Compliance did not differ between tolterodine ER (77.4%) and oxybutynin ER (74.3%), but was lower for oxybutynin IR (60.9%). Mean (+/- standard deviation) duration of therapy was higher for tolterodine ER (139 +/- 132 days) versus oxybutynin ER (115 +/- 122) and oxybutynin IR (60 +/- 85). Totals of 7257 and 5936 matched pairs were available for tolterodine ER versus oxybutynin ER and oxybutynin IR comparisons, respectively. The mean age was 54 years in all groups; the majority was women. Utilization of outpatient and inpatient medical services was consistently lower among tolterodine ER patients in both comparisons. Total costs were slightly lower for tolterodine ER versus oxybutynin ER (dollar 8303 +/- dollar 18 802 vs dollar 8862 +/- dollar 18 684) and oxybutynin IR (dollar 9975 +/- dollar 24860 vs dollar 10521 +/- dollar 22 602); differences were significant after multivariate adjustment.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of tolterodine ER results in comparable compliance to oxybutynin ER and longer duration of use relative to either form of oxybutynin. In addition, tolterodine ER may be cost-effective relative to oxybutynin IR or oxybutynin ER among commercially-insured persons with OAB.

Biofeedback therapy in pediatric urology

Biofeedback is one of the unique treatment options available in the management of voiding dysfunction in children. The focus of biofeedback in pediatric urology is on pelvic floor muscle retraining. Biofeedback uses monitoring devices and strategically placed electrodes to obtain and relay to the child visual and/or auditory cues on bladder emptying activity. The visual and auditory cues help train the child to sense, interpret, and respond to the body's messages related to voiding activity. The overall goal is to improve the child's ability to store urine and empty the bladder more effectively.

The role of the nurse in community continence care: a systematic review

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a condition that is associated with decreased quality of life. Apart from this impact on quality of life, UI is also a very costly problem. It is recognised that 'usual care' for patients suffering from UI is not optimal. Specialised nurses can play an important role in the care for community-dwelling incontinent patients, as they have the appropriate interpersonal and technical skills to provide patient-tailored care. This systematic review analyses the effect of treatment by nurses on clinical and economic outcomes. A total of 12 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were found, varying in terms of population, setting, outcome measurement and control/intervention. There is limited evidence that treatment by nurses results in a decrease in incontinence. No evidence was found for cost reduction. Recommendations are made for future studies.

Cost and time benefits of dual implantation of inflatable penile and artificial urinary sphincter prosthetics by single incision

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness of synchronous prosthetic treatment of male urinary incontinence and impotence using a single transverse scrotal incision.

METHODS

A total of 92 inflatable penile prostheses (IPPs), 21 artificial urinary sphincters (AUSs), and 15 combined IPPs/AUSs were implanted in 128 men at Brooke Army Medical Center and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The operative times and outcomes were compared among three groups (group 1, IPP; group 2, AUS; and group 3, dual IPP/AUS). We performed cost estimates of synchronous versus two-stage implant procedures.

RESULTS

Dual implantation in a single-stage procedure significantly reduced (24.7%) the operative time (P <0.05, mean 113 minutes) compared with the total time for the individual procedures (IPP, average of 78 minutes; AUS, average of 72 minutes; total 150 minutes). No prosthetic infections or erosions occurred in this series. Dual implantation was associated with approximately a $7000 cost savings compared with individual procedures.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of our study have shown that dual prosthetic implantation through a single incision is safe, efficient, and cost-effective.

Urologic diseases in America project: urinary incontinence in women-national trends in hospitalizations, office visits, treatment and economic impact

PURPOSE

We describe temporal trends in hospitalizations, outpatient visits and the treatment of female urinary incontinence (UI), and estimated the costs of incontinence using national databases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The analytic methods used to generate these results have been described previously.

RESULTS

The rate of hospitalization with a primary diagnosis of UI decreased from 51/100,000 women in 1994 to 44/100,000 in 2000 and mean length of stay decreased from 3.1 days to 2.1. In contrast, outpatient visits for UI more than doubled during the same period from 845/100,000 women to 1,845/100,000. Rates of inpatient surgical treatment for UI decreased slightly from 1994 to 2000, while ambulatory surgical center visit rates for Medicare beneficiaries 65 years or older more than doubled from 60/100,000 in 1992 to 142/100,000 in 1998. Medical expenditures for UI increased substantially during the 1990s, almost doubling from 128.1 million dollars in 1992 to 234.4 million dollars in 1998 for Medicare beneficiaries 65 years or older. This increase was due almost entirely to increased outpatient costs, which increased from 25.4 million dollars or 9.1% of total costs in 1992 to 329 million dollars or 27.3% of total costs in 2000 in this group.

CONCLUSIONS

While existing national databases generally capture only the minority of incontinent women with UI who seek and receive care for UI, they are useful for documenting treads in service use and surgical treatments, and estimating economic impact. This data can be helpful when formulating public policy and designing observational and clinical studies.

Urologic diseases in America project: urinary incontinence in males--demographics and economic burden

PURPOSE

We quantified and describe the demographics and economic burden of male urinary incontinence in the United States of America.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The analytic methods used to generate these results have been described previously.

RESULTS

Urinary incontinence (UI) affects men of all ages, including 17% of males older than 60 years in the United States, which is an estimated 3.4 million men. There is a strong trend toward an increasing prevalence of UI with increasing age as well as an increase in the prevalence of UI in males with time. Ethnicity has less of a role in prevalence estimates in men than in women. The largest impact of UI in elderly men is in physician office visits, followed by outpatient services and surgeries. Resource use is greatest in the nursing home setting, where more than half of men have UI and require assistance with toileting. The overall economic burden for male UI is estimated at 18.8 billion dollars in direct medical costs in 1998/1999 dollars. Medical expenditures for UI for male Medicare beneficiaries 65 years and older have doubled since 1992. Compared to persons without UI the presence of UI increases the annual expenditures per person yearly from 3,204 dollars to 7,702 dollars.

CONCLUSIONS

The direct and indirect costs of male UI increased throughout the 1990s with annual expenditures per person yearly in men with UI more than double that in men without UI. Given the aging population and staggering impact of UI in nursing home settings, there is a compelling need for further research into effective prevention, treatment and management strategies.

Costs of managing urinary and faecal incontinence in a sub-acute care facility: a "bottom-up" approach

AIMS

To measure accurately the direct costs of managing urinary and faecal incontinence in the sub-acute care setting.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Prospective observational study was undertaken in two sub-acute care units in a metropolitan hospital. A consecutive series of 29 consecutive patients with urinary and/or faecal incontinence, who were in-patients in a geriatric rehabilitation or sub-acute neurologic unit underwent routine timed voiding protocol, as per usual care. Face-to-face bedside recordings of all incontinence care, with detailed cost analysis, were undertaken.

RESULTS

A total of 3,621 occasions of continence care were costed. The median time per 24 hr spent caring for incontinence per patient was 109 min (interquartile range 88-140). Isolated urinary incontinence episodes occurred in 28 patients (96.5%), mixed urinary/faecal incontinence episodes observed in 79.3%, and episodes of pure faecal incontinence were seen in 62%. The median costs of incontinence care in the sub-acute setting was $49AU per 24 hr, the major share ($41) spent on staff wages. The incontinence tasks of toileting assistance, pad changes, bed changes and catheter care were spread evenly across the three 8 hr shifts of duty.

CONCLUSIONS

As our population demographics include an increasingly greater portion of the elderly, for whom long term institutional care is becoming relatively more scarce, provision of care in the sub-acute unit that may allow rehabilitation and return to home warrants scrutiny. This is the first study that delineates the costs of managing urinary and faecal incontinence in the sub-acute care setting. Such costs are substantial and place a heavy burden upon night-time carers.

Conservative and surgical approaches to the treatment of overactive bladder

Overactive bladder is a prevalent and often distressing condition that has a significant negative effect on the quality of life of those affected. It contributes to the huge burden of incontinence on NHS resources. Effective treatment is available; however, most patients will never admit their problems, seek advice or be identified.

Pharmacological management of overactive bladder : a systematic and critical review of published economic evaluations

Overactive bladder is a common condition, with recent findings estimating the prevalence in adults at about 15%. Symptoms, including urinary urgency, high voiding frequency and urge incontinence, have been shown to decrease patients' quality of life. Given its high prevalence, the economic burden of overactive bladder is also substantial, with a recent estimate placing the annual cost in the US at 9.1 billion US dollars (year 2000 values). The objective of this review is to provide a critical appraisal of published economic evaluations of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for overactive bladder. Published economic evaluations of treatments for overactive bladder have focused entirely on pharmacological treatments -- mainly on the two most commonly used drugs, oxybutynin and tolterodine, each of which is available in immediate- and extended-release formulations. Ten economic evaluations (more than half are cost-effectiveness studies) have been published. Modelling with decision trees or Markov models has been the predominant method. Evaluations comparing drug therapy with no treatment have concluded that drug therapy is cost effective. Analyses comparing the formulations of oxybutynin and tolterodine have produced highly inconsistent results, largely due to the sources of data employed for effectiveness and treatment discontinuation rates. There are no evaluations of drugs relative to non-pharmacological treatment, and there are other significant gaps in the economic evaluations of treatment to date. These include gaps resulting from a lack of reliable data on the performance of these drugs in real-world settings, particularly data on long-term persistence with treatment. A more definitive pharmacoeconomic comparison of oxybutynin and tolterodine formulations, incorporating all available clinical data, and other treatment options would help direct treatment.

Defining overactive bladder: Epidemiology and burden of disease

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common, disabling condition associated with considerable negative impact on quality of life, quality of sleep, and mental health. The age-specific prevalence of OAB is similar among men and women. Urge incontinence affects only a portion of the OAB population: 33% of patients have OAB with urge incontinence ("OAB wet"), while 66% have OAB without urge incontinence ("OAB dry"). The symptoms of OAB can affect social, psychological, occupational, domestic, physical, and sexual aspects of life. OAB can also lead to depression and low self-esteem. The shift away from urodynamic observation (essential in the identification of OAB) reflects increased emphasis on the symptom-specific nature of this common disorder. The overall costs of OAB to society are in the billions. Yet the condition often goes unrecognized, largely because of the reluctance of those with OAB to seek medical attention.

The implications of poor medication persistence with treatment for overactive bladder

Overactive bladder (OAB) affects more than 17 million Americans and accounts for more than dollar 12 billion annually in health care costs. To stem the costs of this disease and increase treatment effectiveness, pharmacological therapies must be taken as prescribed over time. Greater persistence with medication can improve clinical, economic, and humanistic outcomes in OAB. Therapeutic regimens must be effective and well tolerated by patients to create greater persistence and to help reduce health care costs among patients with OAB.