Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the trend over time in the treatment selection for vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) using a health claims database.
Subjects and methods: We examined the health claims database of the members of national health insurance societies between 2011 and 2018 and split the time period into two phases, 2011-2014 and 2015-2018. VKC was confirmed using the relevant diagnostic code and those who are 30 years or younger. Treatment options were categorized as anti-allergic eye drops (A), steroid eye drops (S), and immunosuppressant eye drops (I); these were extracted from the prescription records. The proportions of the patients treated using each treatment option in 2011-2014 and 2015-2018 were compared as a time trend.
Results: Of all the patients with VKC extracted from the database, 63.6% were male, with a median age of 11 years (interquartile-range: 8-17 years). In 2011-2014, the most frequently used treatment option was A+S (20.3%), followed by A+S+I (17.4%) and A+I (15.4%). In 2015-2018, A+I (21.3%) was the most frequently used option, and A+S+I and A+S was used at the same frequency (respectively 16.6%). There was significant increase in the frequency of selecting A+I (p< 0.001), whereas the use of A+S was significantly declining (p=0.006).
Conclusion: In terms of a trend over time in the treatment options for VKC based on the health claims database, we observed a transition to adopting A+I treatment, the recommended standard treatment for VKC, over time after releasing the clinical guideline.
Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi (J Jpn Ophthalmol Soc) 126: 743-750, 2022.