OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of dyspepsia on productivity while at work and in regular daily activities in endoscoped (STARS I study) and in uninvestigated (STARS II study) dyspeptic patients. METHODS: Dyspeptic patients (with symptoms of pain or burning centered in the upper abdomen) were enrolled into 2 randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multinational studies of similar design. During the week before start of treatment, patients rated dyspeptic symptoms daily using a 4 grade scale (0=none to 3=severe) and only those with a sum symptom score of 5 or more during the last 7 days of the runin period were included in the study. In STARS I, all patients underwent an endoscopy at baseline, and those with abnormal findings were excluded. Before start of treatment, patients completed the Reflux Disease Questionnaire (RDQ) to assess symptom severity in three dimensions (heartburn, regurgitation, dyspepsia), and the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire to assess disease-specific absence from work, reduced productivity while at work, and reduced productivity while carrying out regular daily activities. Both questionnaires use a recall period of 1 week. RESULTS: Productivity results were obtained from 568 and 452 patients (of which 372 and 344 were employed) in the STARS I and II studies, respectively. Overall, patients reported that dyspeptic symptoms had a substantial impact on productivity (Table). This impact was slightly more pronounced in the endoscoped than in the uninvestigated patients. However, because these were two different populations the reasons for this difference are unclear. Mean number of workhours lost per employed patient and week due to absence from work and reduced productivity while at work was 11.1 hours (1.9 + 9.2) in endoscoped patients and 8.7 hours (2.0 + 6.7) in uninvestigated patients. Results on reduced productivity were more strongly correlated with the RDQ dyspepsia dimension (r = 0.2 to 0.4) than with the other dimensions (r = 0.1 to 0.2), which lends support to the observed productivity loss mainly being related to non-GERD dyspepsia. CONCLUSION: Non-GERD dyspepsia has a substantial impact on productivity while at work and in regular daily activities in both endoscoped and uninvestigated patients. Productivity results, mean values and 95% confidence intervals (CI)
The Impact of Non-GERD Dyspepsia On Productivity While At Work and in Regular Daily Activities - Results from One Study in Endoscoped (STARS I) and One Study in Uninvestigated (STARS II) Dyspeptic Patients
SPISNI, ROBERTO;
2006-01-01
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of dyspepsia on productivity while at work and in regular daily activities in endoscoped (STARS I study) and in uninvestigated (STARS II study) dyspeptic patients. METHODS: Dyspeptic patients (with symptoms of pain or burning centered in the upper abdomen) were enrolled into 2 randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multinational studies of similar design. During the week before start of treatment, patients rated dyspeptic symptoms daily using a 4 grade scale (0=none to 3=severe) and only those with a sum symptom score of 5 or more during the last 7 days of the runin period were included in the study. In STARS I, all patients underwent an endoscopy at baseline, and those with abnormal findings were excluded. Before start of treatment, patients completed the Reflux Disease Questionnaire (RDQ) to assess symptom severity in three dimensions (heartburn, regurgitation, dyspepsia), and the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire to assess disease-specific absence from work, reduced productivity while at work, and reduced productivity while carrying out regular daily activities. Both questionnaires use a recall period of 1 week. RESULTS: Productivity results were obtained from 568 and 452 patients (of which 372 and 344 were employed) in the STARS I and II studies, respectively. Overall, patients reported that dyspeptic symptoms had a substantial impact on productivity (Table). This impact was slightly more pronounced in the endoscoped than in the uninvestigated patients. However, because these were two different populations the reasons for this difference are unclear. Mean number of workhours lost per employed patient and week due to absence from work and reduced productivity while at work was 11.1 hours (1.9 + 9.2) in endoscoped patients and 8.7 hours (2.0 + 6.7) in uninvestigated patients. Results on reduced productivity were more strongly correlated with the RDQ dyspepsia dimension (r = 0.2 to 0.4) than with the other dimensions (r = 0.1 to 0.2), which lends support to the observed productivity loss mainly being related to non-GERD dyspepsia. CONCLUSION: Non-GERD dyspepsia has a substantial impact on productivity while at work and in regular daily activities in both endoscoped and uninvestigated patients. Productivity results, mean values and 95% confidence intervals (CI)I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
