scholarly journals Cost-effectiveness of household contact investigation for detection of tuberculosis in Pakistan

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. e049658
Author(s):  
Hamidah Hussain ◽  
Amyn Malik ◽  
Junaid F Ahmed ◽  
Sara Siddiqui ◽  
Farhana Amanullah ◽  
...  

ObjectivesDespite WHO guidelines recommending household contact investigation, and studies showing the impact of active screening, most tuberculosis (TB) programmes in resource-limited settings only carry out passive contact investigation. The cost of such strategies is often cited as barriers to their implementation. However, little data are available for the additional costs required to implement this strategy. We aimed to estimate the cost and cost-effectiveness of active contact investigation as compared with passive contact investigation in urban Pakistan.MethodsWe estimated the cost-effectiveness of ‘enhanced’ (passive with follow-up) and ‘active’ (household visit) contact investigations compared with standard ‘passive’ contact investigation from providers and the programme’s perspective using a simple decision tree. Costs were collected in Pakistan from a TB clinic performing passive contact investigation and from studies of active contact tracing interventions conducted. The effectiveness was based on the number of patients with TB identified among household contacts screened.ResultsThe addition of enhanced contact investigation to the existing passive mode detected 3.8 times more cases of TB per index patient compared with passive contact investigation alone. The incremental cost was US$30 per index patient, which yielded an incremental cost of US$120 per incremental patient identified with TB. The active contact investigation was 1.5 times more effective than enhanced contact investigation with an incremental cost of US$238 per incremental patient with TB identified.ConclusionOur results show that enhanced and active approaches to contact investigation effectively identify additional patients with TB among household contacts at a relatively modest cost. These strategies can be added to the passive contact investigation in a high burden setting to find the people with TB who are missed and meet the End TB strategy goals.

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mari Armstrong-Hough ◽  
Patricia Turimumahoro ◽  
Amanda Meyer ◽  
Emmanuel Ochom ◽  
Diana Babirye ◽  
...  

Setting Seven public tuberculosis (TB) units in Kampala, Uganda, where Uganda’s national TB program recently introduced household contact investigation, as recommended by 2012 guidelines from WHO. Objective To apply a cascade analysis to implementation of household contact investigation in a programmatic setting. Design Prospective, multi-center observational study. Methods We constructed a cascade for household contact investigation to describe the proportions of: 1) index patient households recruited; 2) index patient households visited; 3) contacts screened for TB; and 4) contacts completing evaluation for, and diagnosed with, active TB. Results 338 (33%) of 1022 consecutive index TB patients were eligible for contact investigation. Lay health workers scheduled home visits for 207 (61%) index patients and completed 104 (50%). Among 287 eligible contacts, they screened 256 (89%) for symptoms or risk factors for TB. 131 (51%) had an indication for further TB evaluation. These included 59 (45%) with symptoms alone, 58 (44%) children <5, and 14 (11%) with HIV. Among 131 contacts found to be symptomatic or at risk, 26 (20%) contacts completed evaluation, including five (19%) diagnosed with and treated for active TB, for an overall yield of 1.7%. The cumulative conditional probability of completing the entire cascade was 5%. Conclusion Major opportunities exist for improving the effectiveness and yield of TB contact investigation by increasing the proportion of index households completing screening visits by lay health workers and the proportion of at-risk contacts completing TB evaluation.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mari Armstrong-Hough ◽  
Patricia Turimumahoro ◽  
Amanda Meyer ◽  
Emmanuel Ochom ◽  
Diana Babirye ◽  
...  

Setting Seven public tuberculosis (TB) units in Kampala, Uganda, where Uganda’s national TB program recently introduced household contact investigation, as recommended by 2012 guidelines from WHO. Objective To apply a cascade analysis to implementation of household contact investigation in a programmatic setting. Design Prospective, multi-center observational study. Methods We constructed a cascade for household contact investigation to describe the proportions of: 1) index patient households recruited; 2) index patient households visited; 3) contacts screened for TB; and 4) contacts completing evaluation for, and diagnosed with, active TB. Results 338 (33%) of 1022 consecutive index TB patients were eligible for contact investigation. Lay health workers scheduled home visits for 207 (61%) index patients and completed 104 (50%). Among 287 eligible contacts, they screened 256 (89%) for symptoms or risk factors for TB. 131 (51%) had an indication for further TB evaluation. These included 59 (45%) with symptoms alone, 58 (44%) children <5, and 14 (11%) with HIV. Among 131 contacts found to be symptomatic or at risk, 26 (20%) contacts completed evaluation, including five (19%) diagnosed with and treated for active TB, for an overall yield of 1.7%. The cumulative conditional probability of completing the entire cascade was 5%. Conclusion Major opportunities exist for improving the effectiveness and yield of TB contact investigation by increasing the proportion of index households completing screening visits by lay health workers and the proportion of at-risk contacts completing TB evaluation.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mari Armstrong-Hough ◽  
Joseph Ggita ◽  
Patricia Turimumahoro ◽  
Amanda Meyer ◽  
Emmanuel Ochom ◽  
...  

Background Home-initiated tuberculosis (TB) evaluation could improve test uptake and linkage to care among at-risk contacts of active TB index patients. However, there is a need to systematically explore why contacts accept, decline, or are unable to complete these services. We sought to describe the barriers to home-based sputum collection as part of enhanced household contact investigation for TB in Kampala, Uganda. Methods Using a parallel convergent mixed-methods design, we collected quantitative data describing home sputum collection among 82 household contacts of active TB patients and qualitative interviews from a sub-sample of 19 of those contacts. Data were analyzed in parallel to produce a more complete picture of the underlying barriers to home sputum collection. Results Men were significantly more likely than women to provide sputum when eligible (p=0.04). Contacts who reported risk factors for or symptoms of TB but no active cough where significantly less likely to provide sputum (p=0.05). Education level was not associated with differences in home sputum collection success. In interviews, contacts pointed to support from and for the index patient as a facilitator. Contacts were particularly enthusiastic about the convenience of home-based sputum collection compared to visiting a clinic. Lost or insufficient sputum containers, difficulty producing sputum on demand, and shame emerged as barriers to collecting sputum at home. Conclusions Uptake of sputum collection might be improved by addressing opportunity barriers prior to the visit, possibly through equipment checklists and improved community health worker training. More research is needed on the effects of TB stigma on willingness to produce sputum, even in the privacy of one’s own home.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiangping Yang ◽  
Jiaqi Han ◽  
Jinlan He ◽  
Baofeng Duan ◽  
Qiheng Gou ◽  
...  

BackgroundAddition of gemcitabine and cisplatin (GP) or docetaxel and cisplatin plus fluorouracil (TPF) to concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) significantly improved survival in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, an economic evaluation of these regimens remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to compare the cost-effectiveness of GP versus TPF regimen in the treatment of locoregionally advanced NPC in China.Materials and methodsA comprehensive Markov model was developed to evaluate the health and economic outcomes of GP versus TPF regimen for patients with locoregionally advanced NPC. Baseline and clinical outcome were derived from 158 patients with newly diagnosed stage III-IVA NPC between 2010 and 2015. We evaluated the quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system. One-way sensitive analysis explored the impact of uncertainty in key model parameters on results, and probabilistic uncertainty was assessed through a Monte Carlo probabilistic sensitivity analysis.ResultsGP regimen provided an additional 0.42 QALYs with incremental cost of $3,821.99, resulting in an ICER of $9,099.98 per QALY versus TPF regimen at the real-world setting. One-way sensitivity analysis found that the results were most sensitive to the cost and proportion of receiving subsequent treatment in two groups. The probability that GP regimen being cost-effective compared with TPF regimen was 86.9% at a willingness-to-pay (WTP) of $31,008.16 per QALY.ConclusionUsing real-world data, GP regimen was demonstrated a cost-effective alternative to TFP regimen for patients with locoregionally advanced NPC in China. It provides valuable evidence for clinicians when making treatment decisions to improve the cost-effectiveness of treatment.


2018 ◽  
Vol 100-B (10) ◽  
pp. 1297-1302 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Elbuluk ◽  
J. Slover ◽  
A. A. Anoushiravani ◽  
R. Schwarzkopf ◽  
N. Eftekhary ◽  
...  

Aims The routine use of dual-mobility (DM) acetabular components in total hip arthroplasty (THA) may not be cost-effective, but an increasing number of patients undergoing THA have a coexisting spinal disorder, which increases the risk of postoperative instability, and these patients may benefit from DM articulations. This study seeks to examine the cost-effectiveness of DM components as an alternative to standard articulations in these patients. Patients and Methods A decision analysis model was used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of using DM components in patients who would be at high risk for dislocation within one year of THA. Direct and indirect costs of dislocation, incremental costs of using DM components, quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) values, and the probabilities of dislocation were derived from published data. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was established with a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100 000/QALY. Sensitivity analysis was used to examine the impact of variation. Results In the base case, patients with a spinal deformity were modelled to have an 8% probability of dislocation following primary THA based on published clinical ranges. Sensitivity analysis revealed that, at its current average price ($1000), DM is cost-effective if it reduces the probability of dislocation to 0.9%. The threshold cost at which DM ceased being cost-effective was $1180, while the ICER associated with a DM THA was $71 000 per QALY. Conclusion These results indicate that under specific clinical and economic thresholds, DM components are a cost-effective form of treatment for patients with spinal deformity who are at high risk of dislocation after THA. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:1297–1302.


Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Mantilla Herrera ◽  
Michelle Crino ◽  
Holly Erskine ◽  
Gary Sacks ◽  
Jaithri Ananthapavan ◽  
...  

The Health Star Rating (HSR) system is a voluntary front-of-pack labelling (FoPL) initiative endorsed by the Australian government in 2014. This study examines the impact of the HSR system on pre-packaged food reformulation measured by changes in energy density between products with and without HSR. The cost-effectiveness of the HSR system was modelled using a proportional multi-state life table Markov model for the 2010 Australian population. We evaluated scenarios in which the HSR system was implemented on a voluntary and mandatory basis (i.e., HSR uptake across 6.7% and 100% of applicable products, respectively). The main outcomes were health-adjusted life years (HALYs), net costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). These were calculated with accompanying 95% uncertainty intervals (95% UI). The model predicted that HSR-attributable reformulation leads to small changes in mean population energy intake (voluntary: −0.98 kJ/day; mandatory: −11.81 kJ/day). These are likely to result in changes in mean body weight (voluntary: −0.01 kg [95% UI: −0.012 to −0.006]; mandatory: −0.11 kg [95% UI: −0.14 to −0.07]), and HALYs gained (voluntary: 4207 HALYs gained [95% UI: 2438 to 6081]; mandatory: 49,949 HALYs gained [95% UI: 29,291 to 72,153]). The HSR system could be considered cost-effective relative to a willingness-to-pay threshold of A$50,000 per HALY (incremental cost effectiveness ratio for voluntary: A$1728 per HALY [95% UI: dominant to 10,445] and mandatory: A$4752 per HALY [95% UI: dominant to 16,236]).


10.36469/9838 ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-23
Author(s):  
Pierre-Alexandre Dionne ◽  
Farzad Ali ◽  
Mendel Grobler

New discoveries are a critical priority for the pharmaceutical industry. However, the use of fixed incremental cost-effectiveness (ICER) thresholds for health technology assessment (HTA) may compromise incentives to innovate and affect future treatment options. This paper highlights the impact of generic drug price policies on pharmaceutical innovation in the context of fixed ICER thresholds and proposes a new consideration for the cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA). There is a direct causal relationship between HTA and the market price of a drug; in jurisdictions where HTA agencies apply fixed ICER thresholds as an important reimbursement listing criterion, the incremental cost of a new drug is expected to be proportional to its incremental benefit over the comparator. However, the comparator price is subject to market forces or sudden policies and may change markedly affecting the cost-effectiveness assessment (e.g. where the comparator patent has expired). Since recent generic price regulations increased the price gap between drugs’ generic and patented versions, it is harder to achieve a sufficient level of incremental benefits in order to offset incremental prices of new treatments. Consequently, even promising drugs may have challenges to show attractive ICERs and research and development (R&amp;D) investments may become unattractive in certain disease area. In order to promote innovation in therapeutic fields with unmet medical needs, a compromise would be to include the comparator’s patented price in the CEA instead of the generic drug. By identifying the relevant disease areas, decision makers and HTA authorities could therefore convey the importance of investing in these therapeutic areas to manufacturers.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mari Armstrong-Hough ◽  
Joseph Ggita ◽  
Patricia Turimumahoro ◽  
Amanda Meyer ◽  
Emmanuel Ochom ◽  
...  

Background Home-initiated tuberculosis (TB) evaluation could improve test uptake and linkage to care among at-risk contacts of active TB index patients. However, there is a need to systematically explore why contacts accept, decline, or are unable to complete these services. We sought to describe the barriers to home-based sputum collection as part of enhanced household contact investigation for TB in Kampala, Uganda. Methods Using a parallel convergent mixed-methods design, we collected quantitative data describing home sputum collection among 82 household contacts of active TB patients and qualitative interviews from a sub-sample of 19 of those contacts. Data were analyzed in parallel to produce a more complete picture of the underlying barriers to home sputum collection. Results Men were significantly more likely than women to provide sputum when eligible (p=0.04). Contacts who reported risk factors for or symptoms of TB but no active cough where significantly less likely to provide sputum (p=0.05). Education level was not associated with differences in home sputum collection success. In interviews, contacts pointed to support from and for the index patient as a facilitator. Contacts were particularly enthusiastic about the convenience of home-based sputum collection compared to visiting a clinic. Lost or insufficient sputum containers, difficulty producing sputum on demand, and shame emerged as barriers to collecting sputum at home. Conclusions Uptake of sputum collection might be improved by addressing opportunity barriers prior to the visit, possibly through equipment checklists and improved community health worker training. More research is needed on the effects of TB stigma on willingness to produce sputum, even in the privacy of one’s own home.


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