1
|
Cheng Q, Valerio H, Cunningham EB, Shih STF, Silk D, Conway A, Treloar C, Murray C, Henderson C, Amin J, Read P, Dore GJ, Grebely J. Health-Related Quality of Life of People Who Inject Drugs: The Enhancing Treatment of Hepatitis C in Opioid Substitution Settings Engage Study. Value Health 2024; 27:216-225. [PMID: 37951538 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2023.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES There is limited research on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among people who inject drugs (PWID). We evaluated the HRQoL and associated factors among a cohort of PWID in Australia. METHODS Participants were enrolled in an observational cohort study (the Enhancing Treatment of Hepatitis C in Opioid Substitution Settings Engage Study) from May 2018 to September 2019 (wave 1) and November 2019 to June 2021 (wave 2). Participants completed the EQ-5D-5L survey at enrolment. Two-part models were used to assess the association of clinical and socioeconomic characteristics with EQ-5D-5L scores. RESULTS Among 2395 participants (median age, 43 years; 66% male), 65% reported injecting drug use in the past month, 20% had current hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and 68% had no/mild liver fibrosis (F0/F1). Overall, the mean EQ-5D-5L and EQ-visual analog scale scores were 0.78 and 57, respectively. In adjusted analysis, factors associated with significantly lower EQ-5D-5L scores include older ages, female (marginal effect = -0.03, P = .014), being homeless (marginal effect = -0.04, P = .040), and polysubstance use (marginal effect = -0.05, P < .001). Factors associated with significantly higher EQ-5D-5L scores were being Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander (marginal effect = 0.03, P = .021) and recent injecting drug use in the past 12 months. Current HCV infection and liver fibrosis stage were not associated with reduced HRQoL among the study participants. CONCLUSIONS PWID experienced a lower HRQoL compared with the general population. Further research is needed to understand HRQoL in this population to facilitate the development of multifaceted care models for PWID beyond HCV cure and inform health economic analyses for identifying optimal health strategies for PWID.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qinglu Cheng
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Heather Valerio
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Evan B Cunningham
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sophy T F Shih
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - David Silk
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Anna Conway
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Carolyn Murray
- Population Health Strategy and Performance, NSW Health, St Leonards, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Janaki Amin
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Gregory J Dore
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jason Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Shih STF, Stone J, Martin NK, Hajarizadeh B, Cunningham EB, Kwon JA, McGrath C, Grant L, Grebely J, Dore GJ, Lloyd AR, Vickerman P, Chambers GM. Scale-up of Direct-Acting Antiviral Treatment in Prisons Is Both Cost-effective and Key to Hepatitis C Virus Elimination. Open Forum Infect Dis 2024; 11:ofad637. [PMID: 38344130 PMCID: PMC10854215 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofad637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The Surveillance and Treatment of Prisoners With Hepatitis C (SToP-C) study demonstrated that scaling up of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment reduced hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of scaling up HCV treatment in statewide prison services incorporating long-term outcomes across custodial and community settings. Methods A dynamic model of incarceration and HCV transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID) in New South Wales, Australia, was extended to include former PWID and those with long-term HCV progression. Using Australian costing data, we estimated the cost-effectiveness of scaling up HCV treatment in prisons by 44% (as achieved by the SToP-C study) for 10 years (2021-2030) before reducing to baseline levels, compared to a status quo scenario. The mean incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was estimated by comparing the differences in costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) between the scale-up and status quo scenarios over 40 years (2021-2060) discounted at 5% per annum. Univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. Results Scaling up HCV treatment in the statewide prison service is projected to be cost-effective with a mean ICER of A$12 968/QALY gained. The base-case scenario gains 275 QALYs over 40 years at a net incremental cost of A$3.6 million. Excluding DAA pharmaceutical costs, the mean ICER is reduced to A$6 054/QALY. At the willingness-to-pay threshold of A$50 000/QALY, 100% of simulations are cost-effective at various discount rates, time horizons, and changes of treatment levels in prison and community. Conclusions Scaling up HCV testing and treatment in prisons is highly cost-effective and should be considered a priority in the national elimination strategy. Clinical Trials Registration NCT02064049.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sophy T F Shih
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jack Stone
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Natasha K Martin
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Behzad Hajarizadeh
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Evan B Cunningham
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jisoo A Kwon
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Colette McGrath
- Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network, New South Wales Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Luke Grant
- Corrective Services New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jason Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gregory J Dore
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Andrew R Lloyd
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Peter Vickerman
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Georgina M Chambers
- National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit, Centre for Big Data Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Cheng Q, Bajis S, Cunningham E, Shih STF, Schulz M, Marshall AD, Martin NK, Miners A, Hajarizadeh B, Wiseman V, Dore GJ, Grebely J. Health-related quality of life among people who inject drugs in Australia. Qual Life Res 2023; 32:3195-3207. [PMID: 37351701 PMCID: PMC10522523 DOI: 10.1007/s11136-023-03465-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE There is limited research on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among people who inject drugs (PWID). We aimed to evaluate factors associated with HRQoL among a cohort of PWID in Australia. METHODS Participants were enrolled in an observational cohort study (the LiveRLife Study) between 2014 and 2018 at 15 sites in Australia. They provided fingerstick whole-blood samples for point-of-care HCV RNA testing and underwent transient elastography to assess liver disease. Participants completed the EQ-5D-3L survey at enrolment. Regression models were used to assess the impact of clinical and socioeconomic characteristics on the EQ-5D-3L scores. RESULTS Among 751 participants (median age, 43 years; 67% male), 63% reported injection drug use in the past month, 43% had current HCV infection, and 68% had no/mild liver fibrosis (F0/F1). The mean EQ-5D-3L and EQ-VAS scores were 0.67 and 62, respectively, for the overall study population. There was no significant difference in the EQ-5D-3L scores among people with and without recent injecting drug use (mean: 0.66 vs. 0.68, median: 0.73 vs. 0.78, P = 0.405), and among people receiving and not receiving opioid agonist therapy (mean: 0.66 vs. 0.68, median: 0.73 vs. 0.76, P = 0.215). Participants who were employed were found to have the highest mean EQ-5D-3L (0.83) and EQ-VAS scores (77). The presence of current HCV infection, liver fibrosis stage, and high-risk alcohol consumption had little impact on HRQoL. CONCLUSIONS The study findings provide important HRQoL data for economic evaluations, useful for guiding the allocation of resources for HCV elimination strategies and interventions among PWID.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qinglu Cheng
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Wallace Wurth Building, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
| | - Sahar Bajis
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Wallace Wurth Building, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Evan Cunningham
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Wallace Wurth Building, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Sophy T F Shih
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Wallace Wurth Building, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Marcel Schulz
- St Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Medicine, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Wallace Wurth Building, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Natasha K Martin
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alec Miners
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Behzad Hajarizadeh
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Wallace Wurth Building, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Virginia Wiseman
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Wallace Wurth Building, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Gregory J Dore
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Wallace Wurth Building, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Jason Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Wallace Wurth Building, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| |
Collapse
|