Healthcare resource utilization and direct costs of transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients in Dubai, United Arab Emirates: a retrospective cost-of-illness study

Table 3 Incident rate ratio for healthcare resource utilization in TDT

Healthcare services	IRR*	Robust Std. error	P >\|z\|*	95% CI
Laboratory investigations
Disease types
Hemoglobin E/β-thalassemia (ref. β-thalassemia major)	0.71	0.06	< 0.001	0.60 – 0.82
Ferritin level
≥ 2000 ng/ml (ref. < 2000 ng/ml)	1.13	0.04	< 0.001	1.06 – 1.21
Radiology investigations
Age	1.014	0.006	0.023	1.001 – 1.026
Blood transfusions
Age	1.017	0.003	< 0.001	1.012 – 1.021
Sex
Female (ref. male)	0.84	0.03	< 0.001	0.79 – 0.90
Disease types
Hemoglobin E/β-thalassemia (ref. β-thalassemia major)	0.86	0.06	0.028	0.75 – 0.98
Complications
Yes	1.43	0.12	< 0.001	1.22 – 1.69
Splenectomy
Yes	0.77	0.04	< 0.001	0.69 – 0.87
Consultations
ICT
DFO	2.73	0.50	< 0.001	1.90 – 3.90
Combined therapy (ref. deferasirox)	1.77	0.36	0.005	1.19 – 2.62
Splenectomy
Yes	1.47	0.27	0.035	1.03 – 2.09

IRR incidence rate ratio, ICT iron chelation therapy, DFX Deferasirox, DFP deferiprone, DFO deferoxamine

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