Quantifying hospital-associated costs, and accompanying travel costs and productivity losses, before and after withdrawing TNF-α inhibitors in juvenile idiopathic arthritis
An erratum to this article was published (Rheumatology (Oxford), 1 Oct 2025 ↗)
Authors' conclusion
In the first two years after initiating withdrawal, the total annual costs were decreased compared with the pre-withdrawal period.
Study context
- Population
- Paediatric JIA patients treated with TNFi, which were immediately discontinued, spaced or tapered26 discontinued, 30 spaced, 0 tapered
- Participants
- 56 patients
- Exposure
- Costs during clinically inactive disease until TNFi withdrawal vs first and second year after withdrawal initiation
- Outcome
- Mean annual hospital-associated costs plus travel costs and productivity losses
Methodological detailsretrospective analysis of prospectively collected data, electronic medical records, before–after comparison
- Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data
- Electronic medical records
- Before–after comparison
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Mean annual total costs
Decrease
−44.8%
P < 0.05
First year post-withdrawal
Decrease
−28.3%
P < 0.05
Second year post-withdrawal
Pre-withdrawal
€9165
mean · €/patient
First year post-withdrawal
€5063
mean · €/patient
Second year post-withdrawal
€6569
mean · €/patient
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Medication share of total annual costs
| Outcome | Pre-withdrawal | First year post-withdrawal | Second year post-withdrawal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel costs plus productivity losses (annual) | €834 €/patient | €1180 €/patient | €1320 €/patient |
Original publication
Quantifying hospital-associated costs, and accompanying travel costs and productivity losses, before and after withdrawing TNF-α inhibitors in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 20 December 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →