TRANSFUSION COMPLICATIONS: Declining hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence in pregnant women: impact of anti-HCV screening of donated blood

Currently, risk-based hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening is recommended for women of childbearing age and pregnant women despite a high HCV prevalence. For many reasons outlined here, the time has come for universal screening for HCV for all pregnant women.

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Cost-effectiveness of hepatitis C virus screening, and subsequent monitoring or treatment among pregnant women in the Netherlands

The European Journal of Health Economics ◽

10.1007/s10198-020-01236-2 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Job F. H. Eijsink ◽

Mohamed N. M. T. Al Khayat ◽

Cornelis Boersma ◽

Peter G. J. ter Horst ◽

Jan C. Wilschut ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatitis C Virus ◽

Hepatitis C ◽

The Netherlands ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Risk Groups ◽

Subsequent Treatment ◽

Migrant Women ◽

Hcv Screening ◽

The Impact ◽

First Time

Abstract Background The prevalence of diagnosed chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among pregnant women in the Netherlands is 0.26%, yet many cases remain undiagnosed. HCV screening and treatment of pregnant HCV carriers could reduce the burden of disease and limit vertical transmission from mother to child. We assessed the impact of HCV screening and subsequent treatment with new direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) among pregnant women in the Netherlands. Methods An HCV natural history Markov transition state model was developed, to evaluate the public-health and economic impact of HCV screening and treatment. Besides all 179,000 pregnant women in the Netherlands (cohort 1), we modelled 3 further cohorts: all 79,000 first-time pregnant women (cohort 2), 33,000 pregnant migrant women (cohort 3) and 16,000 first-time pregnant migrant women (cohort 4). Each cohort was analyzed in various scenarios: i no intervention, i.e., the current practice, ii screen-and-treat, i.e., the most extensive approach involving treatment of all individuals found HCV-positive, and iii screen-and-treat/monitor, i.e., a strategy involving treatment of symptomatic (F1–F4) patients and follow-up of asymptomatic (F0) HCV carriers with subsequent treatment only at progression. Results For all cohorts, comparison between scenarios (ii) and (i) resulted in ICERs between €9,306 and €10,173 per QALY gained and 5 year budget impacts varying between €6,283,830 and €19,220,405. For all cohorts, comparison between scenarios (iii) and (i) resulted in ICERs between €1,739 and €2,749 per QALY gained and budget impacts varying between €1,468,670 and €5,607,556. For all cohorts, the ICERs (scenario iii versus ii) involved in delayed treatment of asymptomatic (F0) HCV carriers varied between €56,607 and €56,892, well above the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of €20,000 per QALY gained and even above a threshold of €50,000 per QALY gained. Conclusion Universal screening for HCV among all pregnant women in the Netherlands is cost-effective. However, it would be reasonable to consider smaller risk groups in view of the budget impact of the intervention.

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Cost-effectiveness of Universal Hepatitis C Virus Screening of Pregnant Women in the United States

Clinical Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/cid/ciz063 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 69 (11) ◽

pp. 1888-1895 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Antoine Chaillon ◽

Elizabeth B Rand ◽

Nancy Reau ◽

Natasha K Martin

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Hepatitis C Virus ◽

Cost Effectiveness ◽

Hepatitis C ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Cost Effective ◽

The United States ◽

Lifetime Horizon ◽

Hcv Screening ◽

The Cost

Abstract Background Hepatitis C virus’ (HCV) chronic prevalence among pregnant women in the United States doubled nationally from 2009–2014 (~0.7%), yet many cases remain undiagnosed. Screening pregnant women is not recommended by the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, despite new American Association For the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)/Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines recommending screening for this group. We assessed the cost-effectiveness of HCV screening for pregnant women in the United States. Methods An HCV natural history Markov model was used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of universal HCV screening of pregnant women, followed by treatment after pregnancy, compared to background risk-based screening from a health-care payer perspective. We assumed a HCV chronic prevalence of 0.73% among pregnant women, based on national data. We assumed no Medicaid reimbursement restrictions by fibrosis stage at baseline, but explored differing restrictions in sensitivity analyses. We assessed costs (in US dollars) and health outcomes (in quality-adjusted life-years [QALYs]) over a lifetime horizon, using new HCV drug costs of $25 000/treatment. We assessed mean incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) under a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50 000/QALY gained. We additionally evaluated the potential population impact. Results Universal antenatal screening was cost-effective in all treatment eligibility scenarios (mean ICER <$3000/QALY gained). Screening remained cost-effective at a prevalence of 0.07%, which is the lowest estimated prevalence in the United States (in Hawaii). Screening the ~5.04 million pregnant women in 2018 could result in the detection and treatment of 33 000 women, based on current fibrosis restrictions. Conclusions Universal screening for HCV among pregnant women in the United States is cost-effective and should be recommended nationally.

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