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Background: Disease burden and associated costs are not well understood among patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) who have persistent symptoms despite optimized proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate disease burden and costs of GERD in partial responders to PPI therapy. Methods: The Partial Response to PPI treatment: the Cost to Society and the Burden to the Patient in the US (REMAIN US) study was a 12-month, multicenter, noninterventional, observational study of 552 partial PPI responders in the USA. Participating sites were comprised of family practice (n = 30), internal medicine (n = 8), and specialist (gastroenterologist) centers (n = 15). GERD symptoms, health-related quality of life (HRQL), and impact on productivity were evaluated from patient-reported outcome instruments. Resource utilization data were also collected. Results: Patients had a high symptom burden, impaired HRQL, and reduced productivity while at work and in daily activities, despite optimized PPI therapy. Mean annual GERD-related costs were US$9944 per patient, comprising total direct costs and mean productivity loss costs of US$4068 and US$5876 per patient, respectively. Conclusion: Patients with GERD and a partial response to PPI therapy have considerable direct and indirect costs, along with substantial impairments in HRQL and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent data indicate that among patientswith gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) there is a subgroup with a higher disrupting burden of illness in terms of symptom frequency and overall impact. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the burden of disrupting versus non-disrupting GORD on individuals, healthcare providers and society. Methods: Data were obtained from European (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK) and US respondents in the 2007 National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS). Respondents with GORD were classified as having disrupting or non-disrupting GORD based on self-reported symptom frequency, presence of night-time symptoms and medication usage. Disrupting GORD was defined as the presence of GORD symptoms on at least 2 days/week in addition to either night-time symptoms or use of prescribed/ over-the-counter medication at least twice a week during the past month. Results: Of 116 536 respondents included in the 2007 NHWS, 23% reported GORD symptoms; 39% of these were acknowledged as having disrupting GORD. These patients had higher healthcare resource utilization than those with non-disrupting disease. Respondents with disrupting GORD also had poorer health-related quality of life, greater impairments in health-related work productivity and absenteeism (all p < 0.05 vs non-disrupting GORD), and higher associated total medical costs. Overall, patients with physiciandiagnosed GORD also had significantly lower health-related quality of life than self-diagnosed respondents (p < 0.05). Conclusions: GORD is a common disease that places a substantial burden on affected individuals and society. A high proportion of patients have disrupting GORD, which has significant adverse potential from both a clinical and an economic perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the research on work absence and work productivity of employees with and without gastroesophageal reflux disease in the US. The case-control study's aim is to establish a link between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and increased work absence and reduced productivity while at work. The study involved an analysis of data from a database containing the administrative health care and payroll data for US employees who were enrolled for at least one year in an employer-sponsored health insurance plan. Results revealed that employees with GERD had more short-term disability days, more sick leave days and lower objective productivity. The study concluded that GERD is linked with substantial impact on work absences and productivity.

Background: Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common disease. It impairs health related quality of life (HRQL). However, the impact on utility scores and work productivity in patients with moderate to severe GERD is not well known. Methods: We analyzed data from 217 patients with moderate to severe GERD (mean age 50, SD 13.7)across 17 Canadian centers. Patients completed three utility instruments - the standard gamble (SG), the feeling thermometer (FT), and the Health Utilities Index 3 (HUI 3) - and several HRQL instruments, including Quality of Life in Reflux and Dyspepsia (QOLRAD) and the Medical Outcomes Short Form-36 (SF-36). All patients received a proton pump inhibitor, esomeprazole 40 mg daily, for four to six weeks. Results: The mean scores on a scale from 0 (dead) to 1 (full health) obtained for the FT, SG, and HUI 3 were 0.67 (95% CI, 0.64 to 0.70), 0.76 (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.80), and 0.80 (95% CI, 0.77 to 0.82) respectively. The mean scores on the SF-36 were lower than the previously reported Canadian and US general population mean scores and work productivity was impaired. Conclusion: GERD has significant impact on utility scores, HRQL, and work productivity in patients with moderate to severe disease. Furthermore, the FT and HUI 3 provide more valid measurements of HRQL in GERD than the SG. After treatment with esomeprazole, patients showed improved HRQL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]