Reductions in Healthcare Resource Utilization in Psoriatic Arthritis Patients Receiving Etanercept Therapy: Results from the EDUCATE Trial

March 2007 | Volume 6 | Issue 3 | Original Article | 299 | Copyright © March 2007


Alexa Boer Kimball MD MPH, J. Mark Jackson MD, Jeffrey M. Sobell MD, Erin E. Boh MD PhD, Steven Grekin MD, Elaine B. Yu PharmD MS, J. Michael Woolley PhD, H. Amy Xia PhD, Chiun-Fang Chiou PhD, Seth R. Stevens MD

Abstract
The Experience Diagnosing, Understanding Care, and Treatment with Enbrel® (EDUCATE) trial is a phase IV, 24-week, multicenter, open-label study of etanercept 50 mg weekly in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in community dermatology clinics. In this study, patients with active PsA and moderate to severe plaque psoriasis have measurable uses of healthcare resources at baseline, reflecting a burden of illness. Etanercept significantly reduced healthcare resource utilization, absenteeism, and caregiver assistance in PsA patients after 24 weeks of treatment. These results could translate into savings on both direct and indirect costs and improvements in health-related quality of life for patients with PsA.