Study of patients with iron deficiency and HF in Ireland: prevalence and treatment budget impact

Bethany Wong; Sandra Redmond; Ciara Blaine; Carol-Ann Nugent; Lavanya Saiva; John Buckley; Jim O'Neill

doi:10.5837/bjc.2021.010

Study of patients with iron deficiency and HF in Ireland: prevalence and treatment budget impact

Br J Cardiol. 2021 Mar 9;28(1):10. doi: 10.5837/bjc.2021.010. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Bethany Wong¹, Sandra Redmond², Ciara Blaine³, Carol-Ann Nugent³, Lavanya Saiva⁴, John Buckley⁵, Jim O'Neill⁶

Affiliations

¹ Irish Clinical Academic Fellow in Cardiology Cardiology Department, Connolly Hospital, Dublin 15, Ireland.
² Health Economic Specialist and Managing Director of Salutem Insights Salutem Insights, www.saluteminsights.com.
³ Cardiology Specialist Nurse Cardiology Department, Connolly Hospital, Dublin 15, Ireland.
⁴ Cardiology Registrar Cardiology Department, Connolly Hospital, Dublin 15, Ireland.
⁵ Cardiology Specialist Registrar Cardiology Department, Connolly Hospital, Dublin 15, Ireland.
⁶ Cardiology Consultant in Heart Failure Cardiology Department, Connolly Hospital, Dublin 15, Ireland.

Abstract

This study aims to present the screening, prevalence and treatment of heart failure (HF) patients with iron deficiency in an Irish hospital and use an economic model to estimate the budget impact of treating eligible patients with intravenous ferric carboxymaltose (IV FCM). Retrospective data were collected on 151 HF patients over a one-year period from all newly referred HF patients to a secondary care hospital. This included 36 patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and 115 with reduced ejection fraction (HPrEF). An existing budget impact model was adapted to incorporate Irish unit cost and resource use data to estimate the annual budget impact of treating patients with IV FCM. The total number of HFrEF patients who met criteria for iron replacement was 44 (38% of total HFrEF patients); of this, only nine (20%) were treated. The budget impact model estimates that treating all eligible patients with IV FCM in this single centre would save 40 bed-days and over €7,600/year. To improve the quality of life and reduce hospitalisation, further identification and treatment of iron deficient patients should be implemented. Expanding the use of IV iron nationally would be cost and bed saving.

Keywords: Ireland; budget impact; heart failure; iron deficiency.

Grants and funding

Funding Data collection and statistical analysis funded by Vifor Pharma. Data and statistical analysis was performed by an independent health economy company (Salutum Insights). Vifor Pharma did not screen or access data collected and the manuscript was submitted for publication independently from Vifor Pharma. This work was performed within the Irish Clinical Academic Training (ICAT) Programme, supported by the Wellcome Trust and the Health Research Board (Grant Number 203930/B/16/Z), the Health Service Executive, National Doctors Training and Planning and the Health and Social Care, Research and Development Division, Northern Ireland.