Unveiling the Financial Burden of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Management in Saudi Arabia: Insights from a Single-Center Study.

BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that impacts multiple organs. In Saudi Arabia, the prevalence of SLE is about 19 per 100,000 people, primarily affecting women at a 9:1 ratio. This study aimed to estimate the direct medical costs of managing SLE in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: Data were collected from electronic medical records at a university-affiliated tertiary care center using a micro-costing approach over a 12-month period, encompassing the costs for laboratory tests, imaging, medications, and outpatient visits. A Generalized Linear Model (GLM) was used to assess the relationship between costs and patient characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 103 patients were observed, who were primarily female (90.23%), Saudi nationals (97.09%), and married (53.40%). The average age was 41.27 years (±12.01), with an illness duration of 13.37 years (±6.64). Approximately 44% had lupus nephritis, 13% had thrombocytopenia, 20% had leukopenia, 9% had neuropsychiatric lupus, 44% had arthritis, and 20% had chronic cutaneous lupus. Approximately 60% exhibited mild or no disease activity, as per the SLEDAI-2K score. The mean annual medical cost associated with the management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was USD 12,760.65. However, after adjusting for various covariates using the Generalized Linear Model (GLM), the estimated annual medical costs were USD 23,041 for patients treated with biologics and USD 47,793 for those with high disease activity. Both high disease activity (SLEDAI-2K score > 11) and the use of biologics were identified as significant predictors of increased annual medical costs. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to estimate the costs of SLE management in Saudi Arabia from a public healthcare perspective. Future research should include a larger, more representative sample and consider the productivity losses associated with SLE.