Fekadu G, Jiang X, Yao J, You JHS. Cost-effectiveness of
video-observed therapy for ambulatory management of active tuberculosis during the COVID-19 pandemic in a high-income country.
Int J Infect Dis 2021;
113:271-278. [PMID:
34688946 PMCID:
PMC8530791 DOI:
10.1016/j.ijid.2021.10.029]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused suspension of directly observed therapy (DOT) for patients with active tuberculosis (TB). This study aimed to estimate the outcomes of pandemic-related DOT suspension and the cost-effectiveness of video-observed therapy (VOT) during the pandemic.
METHODS
A decision-analytic model was constructed to project outcomes of adult patients with active TB from the perspective of a US healthcare provider. Two model-based analyses were conducted: (1) before (with DOT) and during [with self-administered therapy (SAT)] the pandemic; and (2) VOT vs SAT during the pandemic. The primary outcome measures were direct medical costs and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).
RESULTS
In the base-case analysis, care during the pandemic (with SAT) increased the cost (by US$285 per patient) and DALYs (by 0.2155 per patient) in comparison with DOT. Care with VOT reduced DALYs (by 0.4870) and costs (by US$1797) in comparison with SAT. On probabilistic sensitivity analysis, care during the pandemic (with SAT) increased DALYs in 100% of 10,000 simulations, and increased costs in 55.52% of instances. Care with VOT reduced DALYs and costs in 99.7% and 68.79% of instances, respectively. The probability of VOT being cost-effective was 99.4% at the willingness-to-pay threshold of 50,000 US$/DALY.
CONCLUSION
Suspension of DOT during the COVID-19 pandemic worsened treatment outcomes. VOT was found to be a cost-effective option for active TB care in an outpatient setting.
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