• Benjamin D Lewing, Christopher Wallick, Tu My To, Henry Masters, Parul Dayal, Stephan W Korom, and Selina Tam.
• University of Houston, 4849 Calhoun, HB2, R4058, Houston, TX 77204-5047. Email: BLewing2@central.uh.edu.
• Am J Manag Care. 2023 Feb 1; 29 (2): e43e50e43-e50.

ObjectivesTo evaluate the long-term effects of antiviral treatment on influenza-related health care resource utilization (HCRU) and costs in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and a diagnosis of influenza.Study DesignRetrospective cohort study.MethodsClaims data from the IBM MarketScan Commercial Claims Database were used to identify patients with T2D and a diagnosis of influenza between October 1, 2016, and April 30, 2017. Patients who received antiviral treatment within 2 days of influenza diagnosis were identified and propensity score-matched 1:1 with a comparator cohort of untreated patients. HCRU (number of outpatient visits, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and duration of hospitalization) and costs were assessed over 1 full year and over each quarter after influenza diagnosis.ResultsTreated and untreated matched cohorts consisted of 2459 patients each. In the treated cohort vs the untreated cohort, emergency department visits were reduced 24.6% over 1 year after influenza diagnosis (mean [SD], 0.94 [1.76] vs 1.24 [2.47] visits; P < .0001) and were also reduced significantly during each quarter; the duration of hospitalization decreased 35.6% in the treated cohort vs the untreated cohort over 1 full year (mean [SD], 0.71 [3.36] vs 1.11 [5.60] days; P < .0023). Mean (SD) total health care costs were 17.68% lower in the treated cohort ($20,212 [$58,627]) than in the untreated cohort ($24,552 [$71,830]) over a whole year following the index influenza visit (P = .0203).ConclusionsAntiviral treatment in patients with T2D and influenza was associated with significantly lower HCRU and costs over at least 1 year after infection.

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