Real-world all-cause healthcare resource utilization and costs among patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome in the United States

INTRODUCTION: Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a persistent and heterogeneous condition diagnosed by exclusion, defined by a bladder-associated unpleasant sensation (e.g. pain, pressure, or discomfort), and affecting patients' quality of life. This real-world study aimed to describe all-cause healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs associated with IC/BPS in the United States. METHODS: This matched-cohort study compared patients with an IC/BPS diagnosis to those without using real-world claims from the Merative MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental Databases (Set B; January 1, 2016-June 30, 2025). The index date was the first IC/BPS diagnosis during the identification period (January 1, 2017-September 30, 2022). During the baseline and follow-up periods, all-cause HCRU and costs (i.e. billed expenses) were reported as means per patient per year (PPPY) and rate ratios (RR). RESULTS: In the 1-year baseline period, the IC/BPS cohort demonstrated higher all-cause HCRU and costs across all categories compared with the control cohort. During the follow-up period, mean all-cause total visits were nearly 2-fold higher in the IC/BPS cohort than in the control cohort (21.78 vs. 10.94 PPPY; RR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.95-2.04); mean all-cause total healthcare costs were also nearly 2-fold higher in the IC/BPS cohort than in the control cohort ($20,288 vs. $10,222 PPPY; RR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.92-2.05). LIMITATIONS: This observational study of all-cause HCRU based on claims data provides insights rather than conclusions. Claims data rely on coded diagnoses and may lack information on disease severity, adherence, and indirect costs, introducing bias (e.g. diagnosis misclassification or residual confounding) and affecting the generalizability of results. CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory study demonstrated that the healthcare burden among patients diagnosed with IC/BPS remained substantial over time. These findings highlight the need for further research on cost drivers and management strategies to improve outcomes and reduce all-cause HCRU and costs among patients with IC/BPS.