Hidden Costs Associated With Venous Thromboembolism: Impact of Lost Productivity on Employers and Employees

OBJECTIVE:To determine productivity loss and indirect costs with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). METHODS:Medical and pharmacy claims with short-term disability (STD) and long-term disability (LTD) claims from 2007 to 2010 were analyzed from the Integrated Benefits Instituteʼs Health and Productivity Benchmarking (IBI-HPB) database (STD and LTD claims) and IMS LifeLink™ data (medical and pharmacy claims), which were indirectly linked using a weighting approach matching from IBI-HPB patientsʼ demographic distribution. RESULTS:A total of 5442 DVT and 6199 PE claims were identified. Employees with DVT lost 57 STD and 440 LTD days per disability incident. The average per claim productivity loss from STD and LTD was $7414 and $58181, respectively. Employees with PE lost 56 STD and 364 LTD days per disability incident. The average per claim productivity loss from STD and LTD was $7605 and $48,751, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:Deep vein thrombosis and PE impose substantial economic burdens.