Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Computerized Tomography in the Routine Follow-Up of Patients After Primary Treatment for Hodgkin’s Disease

2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (25) ◽  
pp. 4116-4122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beverly A. Guadagnolo ◽  
Rinaa S. Punglia ◽  
Karen M. Kuntz ◽  
Peter M. Mauch ◽  
Andrea K. Ng

Purpose To estimate the clinical benefits and cost effectiveness of computed tomography (CT) in the follow-up of patients with complete response (CR) after treatment for Hodgkin’s disease (HD). Patients and Methods We developed a decision-analytic model to evaluate follow-up strategies for two hypothetical cohorts of 25-year-old patients with stage I-II or stage III-IV HD, treated with doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine-based chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy, respectively. We compared three strategies for observing asymptomatic patients after CR: routine annual CT for 10 years, annual CT for 5 years, or follow-up with non-CT modalities only. We used Markov models to calculate life expectancy, quality-adjusted life expectancy, and lifetime costs. Baseline probabilities, transition probabilities, and utilities were derived from published studies. Cost data were derived from the Medicare fee schedule and medical literature. We performed sensitivity analyses by varying baseline estimates. Results Annual CT follow-up is associated with minimal survival benefit. With adjustments for quality of life, we found a decrement in quality-adjusted life expectancy for early-stage patients followed with CT compared with non-CT modalities. Sensitivity analyses showed annual CT for 5 years becomes more effective than non-CT follow-up if the specificity of CT is 80% or more or if the disutility associated with a false-positive CT result is less than 0.01 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). For advanced-stage patients, annual CT for 5 years is associated with a very small quality-adjusted survival gain over non-CT follow-up with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $9,042,300/QALY. Conclusion Our analysis suggests that routine CT should not be used in the surveillance of asymptomatic patients in CR after treatment for HD.

2005 ◽  
Vol 93 (03) ◽  
pp. 592-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth Smith ◽  
Jacques Cornuz ◽  
Mark Roberts ◽  
Drahomir Aujesky

SummaryAlthough extended secondary prophylaxis with low-molecular-weight heparin was recently shown to be more effective than warfarin for cancer-related venous thromboembolism, its cost-effectiveness compared to traditional prophylaxis with warfarin is uncertain. We built a decision analytic model to evaluate the clinical and economic outcomes of a 6-month course of low-molecular-weight heparin or warfarin therapy in 65-year-old patients with cancer-related venous thromboembolism. We used probability estimates and utilities reported in the literature and published cost data. Using a US societal perspective, we compared strategies based on quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and lifetime costs. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of low-molecular-weight heparin compared with warfarin was $149, 865/QALY. Low-molecular-weight heparin yielded a quality-adjusted life expectancy of 1.097 QALYs at the cost of $15, 329. Overall, 46% ($7108) of the total costs associated with low-molecular-weight heparin were attributable to pharmacy costs. Although the low-molecular-weigh heparin strategy achieved a higher incremental quality-adjusted life expectancy than the warfarin strategy (difference of 0.051 QALYs), this clinical benefit was offset by a substantial cost increment of $7,609. Cost-effectiveness results were sensitive to variation of the early mortality risks associated with low-molecular-weight heparin and warfarin and the pharmacy costs for low-molecular-weight heparin. Based on the best available evidence, secondary prophylaxis with low-molecular-weight heparin is more effective than warfarin for cancer-related venous thromboembolism. However, because of the substantial pharmacy costs of extended low-molecular-weight heparin prophylaxis in the US, this treatment is relatively expensive compared with warfarin.


2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (1S) ◽  
pp. 15-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Pradelli ◽  
Mario Calandriello ◽  
Roberto Di Virgilio ◽  
Marco Bellone ◽  
Marco Tubaro

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost‑effectiveness of apixaban in the prevention of thromboembolic events in patients with non‑valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) relatively to standard of care (warfarin or aspirin) from the Italian National Health System (SSN) perspective.METHODS: A previously published lifetime Markov model was adapted for Italian context. Clinical effectiveness data were acquired from head‑to‑head randomized trials (ARISTOTLE and AVERROES); main events considered in the model were ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, systemic thromboembolism, bleeds (both major and clinically relevant minor) and cardiovascular hospitalizations, besides treatment discontinuations. Expected survival was projected beyond trial duration using national mortality data adjusted for individual clinical risks and adjusted by utility weights for health states acquired from literature. Unit costs were collected from published Italian sources and actualized to 2013. Costs and health gains accruing after the first year were discounted at an annual 3.5% rate. The primary outcome measure of the economic evaluation was the incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER), where effectiveness is measured in terms of life‑years and quality adjusted life‑years gained. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses (PSA) were carried out to assess the effect of input uncertainty.RESULTS: Apixaban is expected to reduce the incidence of ischemic events relative to aspirin and to improve bleeding safety profile when compared to warfarin. Incremental LYs (0.31/0.19), QALYs (0.28/0.20), and costs (1,932/1,104) are predicted with the use of apixaban relative to aspirin and warfarin, respectively. The ICERs of apixaban were € 6,794 and € 5,607 per QALY gained, respectively. In PSA, the probability of apixaban being cost effective relative to aspirin and warfarin was 95% and 93%, respectively, for a WTP threshold of € 20,000 per QALY gained. Univariate analyses indicate that results were most sensitive to variations of the absolute risk reduction for cardiovascular events with apixaban.CONCLUSIONS: Apixaban is expected to increase life expectancy and quality‑adjusted life expectancy, but also costs dedicated to Italian NVAF patients, as compared to standard of care. The resulting ICERs have high probabilities of being below the conventional thresholds of WTP for health benefits of the SSN, indicating efficient allocation of health care resources.


Neurology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 92 (23) ◽  
pp. e2674-e2678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross Mandeville ◽  
Arvin Wali ◽  
Charlie Park ◽  
Erik Groessl ◽  
Francis O. Walker ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo evaluate the cost-effectiveness of neuromuscular ultrasound (NMUS) for the evaluation of focal neuropathies.MethodsA prior prospective, randomized, double-blind controlled trial demonstrated that NMUS, when added to electrodiagnostic testing, resulted in improved clinical outcomes after 6 months of follow-up. From this study, we abstracted quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) from the 36-item Short Form Health Survey and entered this health-utility estimate into a mixed trial and model-based cost-effectiveness analysis from the societal perspective. Costs of intervention (NMUS) were estimated from Medicare payment rates for Current Procedural Terminology codes. Health care use was otherwise estimated to be equal, but sensitivity analyses further examined this and other key assumptions. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was used as the primary outcome with a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000 per QALY.ResultsThe predicted mean health outcome associated with use of NMUS was 0.079 QALY, and the mean cost was $37, resulting in an ICER of $463 per QALY. Results and conclusions remained robust across all sensitivity analyses, including variations in time horizon, initial distribution of health states, costs, and effectiveness.ConclusionsFrom a societal perspective, the addition of NMUS to electrodiagnostic testing when evaluating a focal neuropathy is cost-effective. A study of longer follow-up incorporating total health care use would further quantify the value of NMUS.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier:NCT01394822.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline G. Watts ◽  
Anne E. Cust ◽  
Scott W. Menzies ◽  
Graham J. Mann ◽  
Rachael L. Morton

Purpose Clinical guidelines recommend that people at high risk of melanoma receive regular surveillance to improve survival through early detection. A specialized High Risk Clinic in Sydney, Australia was found to be effective for this purpose; however, wider implementation of this clinical service requires evidence of cost-effectiveness and data addressing potential overtreatment of suspicious skin lesions. Patients and Methods A decision-analytic model was built to compare the costs and benefits of specialized surveillance compared with standard care over a 10-year period, from a health system perspective. A high-risk standard care cohort was obtained using linked population data, comprising the Sax Institute’s 45 and Up cohort study, linked to Medicare Benefits Schedule claims data, the cancer registry, and hospital admissions data. Benefits were measured in quality-adjusted life-years gained. Sensitivity analyses were undertaken for all model parameters. Results Specialized surveillance through the High Risk Clinic was both less expensive and more effective than standard care. The mean saving was A$6,828 (95% CI, $5,564 to $8,092) per patient, and the mean quality-adjusted life-year gain was 0.31 (95% CI, 0.27 to 0.35). The main drivers of the differences were detection of melanoma at an earlier stage resulting in less extensive treatment and a lower annual mean excision rate for suspicious lesions in specialized surveillance (0.81; 95% CI, 0.72 to 0.91) compared with standard care (2.55; 95% CI, 2.34 to 2.76). The results were robust when tested in sensitivity analyses. Conclusion Specialized surveillance was a cost-effective strategy for the management of individuals at high risk of melanoma. There were also fewer invasive procedures in specialized surveillance compared with standard care in the community.


2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. E3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian McCarthy ◽  
Michael O'Brien ◽  
Christopher Ames ◽  
Chessie Robinson ◽  
Thomas Errico ◽  
...  

Object Incremental cost-effectiveness analysis is critical to the efficient allocation of health care resources; however, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of surgical versus nonsurgical treatment for adult spinal deformity (ASD) has eluded the literature, due in part to inherent empirical difficulties when comparing surgical and nonsurgical patients. Using observed preoperative health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for patients who later underwent surgery, this study builds a statistical model to predict hypothetical quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) without surgical treatment. The analysis compares predicted QALYs to observed postoperative QALYs and forms the resulting ICER. Methods This was a single-center (Baylor Scoliosis Center) retrospective analysis of consecutive patients undergoing primary surgery for ASD. Total costs (expressed in 2010 dollars) incurred by the hospital for each episode of surgical care were collected from administrative data and QALYs were calculated from the 6-dimensional Short-Form Health Survey, each discounted at 3.5% per year. Regression analysis was used to predict hypothetical QALYs without surgery based on preoperative longitudinal data for 124 crossover surgical patients with similar diagnoses, baseline HRQOL, age, and sex compared with the surgical cohort. Results were projected through 10-year follow-up, and the cost-effectiveness acceptability curve (CEAC) was estimated using nonparametric bootstrap methods. Results Three-year follow-up was available for 120 (66%) of 181 eligible patients, who were predominantly female (89%) with average age of 50. With discounting, total costs averaged $125,407, including readmissions, with average QALYs of 1.93 at 3-year follow-up. Average QALYs without surgery were predicted to be 1.6 after 3 years. At 3- and 5-year follow-up, the ICER was $375,000 and $198,000, respectively. Projecting through 10-year follow-up, the ICER was $80,000. The 10-year CEAC revealed a 40% probability that the ICER was $80,000 or less, a 90% probability that the ICER was $90,000 or less, and a 100% probability that the ICER was less than $100,000. Conclusions Based on the WHO's suggested upper threshold for cost-effectiveness (3 times per capita GDP, or $140,000 in 2010 dollars), the analysis reveals that surgical treatment for ASD is cost-effective after a 10-year period based on predicted deterioration in HRQOL without surgery. The ICER well exceeds the WHO threshold at earlier follow-up intervals, highlighting the importance of the durability of surgical treatment in assessing the value of surgical intervention. Due to the study's methodology, the results are dependent on the predicted deterioration in HRQOL without surgery. As such, the results may not extend to patients whose HRQOL would remain steady without surgery. Future research should therefore pursue a direct comparison of QALYs for surgical and nonsurgical patients to better understand the cost-effectiveness of surgery for the average ASD patient.


Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (22) ◽  
pp. 2475-2475
Author(s):  
Nina Lathia ◽  
Pierre K Isogai ◽  
Scott Walker ◽  
Matthew C Cheung ◽  
Murray Krahn ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 2475 Poster Board II-452 Introduction: Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) is the fifth most common type of malignancy in Canada. The most common subtype of NHL is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Initial standard treatment for DLBCL includes combination immuno-chemotherapy with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP). This regimen is typically administered every 21 days for a total of 6 cycles. Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a serious toxicity of lymphoma chemotherapy and patients with this condition must be treated aggressively as it could lead to complications such as prolonged hospitalization and death. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factors such as filgrastim and pegfilgrastim are efficacious in preventing FN, yet their cost-effectiveness has not been evaluated in the publicly funded Canadian healthcare system. Methods: A Markov model was constructed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness (cost-utility) of filgrastim and pegfilgrastim as primary prophylaxis versus no primary prophylaxis against FN in DLBCL patients receiving induction chemotherapy. Health states included in the model were hospitalization for FN, and receiving chemotherapy with no FN. It was assumed that patients in the no primary prophylaxis arm of the model who experienced a FN episode would receive secondary prophylaxis with filgrastim for all subsequent chemotherapy cycles. The time horizon of the model was 18 weeks, the time period over which the six cycles of chemotherapy are administered. The analysis was conducted from the hospital perspective. Costs are reported in 2009 Canadian dollars and outcomes in quality-adjusted life years (QALY). One-way sensitivity analyses were done on model parameters. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis was done to evaluate overall uncertainty in the model. Results: In the base case analysis costs associated with the no primary prophylaxis, filgrastim and pegfilgrastim interventions were $6044, $9450 and $15899, respectively. Quality-adjusted life years associated with the three interventions were 0.198, 0.200, and 0.202 respectively (over the 18-week model time horizon). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of filgrastim compared to no primary prophylaxis was estimated to be $1.7 million (M)/QALY [95% confidence interval: -14M/QALY (dominated) to $15M/QALY]; for pegfilgrastim compared to filgrastim the ICER was estimated to be $4.4M/QALY [95% confidence interval: -25M/QALY (dominated) to $22.7M/QALY]. All one-way sensitivity analyses yielded ICERs of greater than $1M/QALY. Conclusions: The ICERs for filgrastim and pegfilgrastim when used as primary prophylaxis against FN in DLBCL patients receiving induction chemotherapy are well above the usually accepted cost-effectiveness threshold of $50,000/QALY. Disclosures: Mittmann: Amgen Canada: Unrestriced educational grant.


2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 635-641
Author(s):  
Michele Palazzuolo ◽  
Alexander Antoniadis ◽  
Jaad Mahlouly ◽  
Julien Wegrzyn

Abstract Purpose Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the treatment of choice for end-stage osteoarthritis though its risk-benefit ratio in elderly patients remains debated. This study aimed to evaluate the functional outcome, rates of complication and mortality, and quality-adjusted life years (QALY) in patients who exceeded their estimated life expectancy. Methods Ninety-seven TKA implanted in 86 patients who exceeded their estimated life expectancy at the time of TKA were prospectively included in our institutional joint registry and retrospectively analyzed. At latest follow-up, the functional outcome with the Knee Society Score (KSS), rates of complication and mortality, and QALY with utility value of EuroQol-5D score were evaluated. Results At a mean follow-up of three ± one years, the pre- to post-operative KSS improved significantly (p < 0.01). The rates of surgical and major medical complications related to TKA were 3% and 10%, respectively. The re-operation rate with readmission was 3% while no TKA was revised. The 30-day and one year mortality was 1% and 3%, respectively. The pre- to one year post-operative QALY improved significantly (p < 0.01). The cumulative QALY five years after TKA was four years. Assuming that these patients did not undergo TKA, their cumulative QALY at five years would have been only two years. Conclusion TKA is an effective procedure for the treatment of end-stage osteoarthritis in patients who exceeded their estimated life expectancy. TKA provided significant improvement in function and quality of life without adversely affecting overall morbidity and mortality. Therefore, TKA should not be contra-indicated in elderly patients based on their advanced age alone.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 785-795
Author(s):  
Wen Chen ◽  
Thomas Ward ◽  
Mai Ping Tan ◽  
Jing Yan ◽  
Peter Feng Wang ◽  
...  

Aim: To evaluate the cost–effectiveness of the novel all-oral direct-acting antiviral regimen daclatasvir + asunaprevir (DUAL), versus interferon-based regimens for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1b infection. Methods: Inputs for a lifetime Markov model were sourced from clinical trials and published literature. Outputs include disease management costs, life expectancy, quality-adjusted life-years and cost–effectiveness. Sensitivity analyses assessed the drivers of cost–effectiveness and sustained virologic response thresholds at which DUAL is cost-saving. Results: DUAL was associated with discounted incremental quality-adjusted life-years of 1.29–3.85 and incremental life-years of 0.85–2.59 per patient, with discounted lifetime cost savings of USD$1415–8525. Associated sustained virologic response rates could fall to 45.1–84.8%, while remaining dominant. Conclusion: Treatment with DUAL provides significant clinical benefit, while accruing lower lifetime costs.


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