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Table 2 Baseline characteristics of patients at index or during 12 months before index prescription

From: Factors associated with physicians’ prescriptions for rheumatoid arthritis drugs not filled by patients

 

Methotrexate (MTX)

Biologics/tofacitinib (B/T)

Noninitiators

(n = 281)

Initiators

(n = 482)

Total

(n = 763)

Noninitiators

(n = 176)

Initiators

(n = 258)

Total

(n = 434)

Age at index prescription, mean (SD)

67.6 (12.7)

59.5 (13.5)

62.5 (13.8)

63.0 (13.7)

54.0 (13.4)

57.7 (14.2)

Female (%)

73.3

71.6

72.2

74.4

77.1

76.4

Race (%)

 White

87.5

78.4

81.8

83.0

80.2

81.3

 African American

5.7

8.1

7.2

5.1

7.4

6.5

 Asian

2.1

2.1

2.1

0.6

1.2

0.9

 Other/unknown

4.6

11.4

8.9

11.4

11.2

11.3

Geographic division (%)a

 East North Central

14.2

23.2

19.9

   

 East South Central

1.8

0.8

1.2

   

 Middle Atlantic

5.7

10.0

8.4

   

 Mountain

2.1

2.9

2.6

   

 New England

16.7

3.1

8.1

   

 Other/unknown

1.8

2.5

2.2

   

 Pacific

8.2

8.9

8.7

   

 South Atlantic/West South Central

24.2

36.9

32.2

   

 West North Central

25.3

11.6

16.6

   

Commercial insurance (vs Medicare) at index (%)a,b

29.9

58.5

47.7

34.1

79.5

61.5

Body mass index during 12 months before index (from EHRs) (%)a

 Underweight (< 18.5)

1.4

2.1

1.8

   

 Healthy weight (18.5–24.9)

16.4

21.4

19.5

   

 Overweight (25.0–29.9)

20.6

23.9

22.7

   

 Obesity I (30.0–34.9)

11.7

18.5

16.0

   

 Obesity II (35.0–39.9)

6.4

8.5

7.7

   

 Obesity III (40.0+)

5.3

7.9

6.9

   

 Missing

38.1

17.8

25.3

   

Active ingredient counts during 12 months before index (from claims)a, mean (SD)

3.4 (6.4)

10.5 (6.8)

7.9 (7.5)

   

Number of days between RA diagnosis (from claims) and first prescription (from EHRs)a, median; mean (SD)

371

39

90

   

602

279

398

   

(698)

(502)

(602)

   

Diagnosis-based comorbidity indicators (EDCs) during 12 months before index (based on claims) (%)

 ADM05: administrative concerns and nonspecific laboratory abnormalitiesa

70.5

60.0

63.8

   

 GUR11: incontinencea

6.0

1.2

3.0

   

Pharmacy-based comorbidity indicators (RxMGs) during 12 months before index (based on claims) (%)

 MUSx020: musculoskeletal/inflammatory conditionsb

   

71.6

91.5

83.4

 ALLx030: allergy/immunology/chronic inflammatorya,b

14.2

66.6

47.3

47.2

76.0

64.3

 CARx030: cardiovascular/high blood pressurea

13.5

45.4

33.7

   

 GSIx020: general signs and symptoms/paina

17.8

59.1

43.9

   

 GSIx030: general signs and symptoms/pain and inflammationa

12.5

56.4

40.2

   

 INFx020: infections/acute minora

18.1

61.2

45.3

   

 ENDx040: endocrine/diabetes without insulina

0.7

11.0

7.2

   
  1. SD standard deviation, EHR electronic health record, RA rheumatoid arthritis, EDC Expanded Diagnosis Cluster, RxMG Rx-defined Morbidity Group
  2. aImportant predictors selected by LASSO logistic regression for predicting MTX primary nonadherence
  3. bImportant predictors selected for predicting B/T primary nonadherence; age, sex, and race were added to the predictive models regardless