Radiology AI Deployment and Assessment Rubric (RADAR) to bring value-based AI into radiological practice

OBJECTIVE

To provide a comprehensive framework for value assessment of artificial intelligence (AI) in radiology.

METHODS

This paper presents the RADAR framework, which has been adapted from Fryback and Thornbury's imaging efficacy framework to facilitate the valuation of radiology AI from conception to local implementation. Local efficacy has been newly introduced to underscore the importance of appraising an AI technology within its local environment. Furthermore, the RADAR framework is illustrated through a myriad of study designs that help assess value.

RESULTS

RADAR presents a seven-level hierarchy, providing radiologists, researchers, and policymakers with a structured approach to the comprehensive assessment of value in radiology AI. RADAR is designed to be dynamic and meet the different valuation needs throughout the AI's lifecycle. Initial phases like technical and diagnostic efficacy (RADAR-1 and RADAR-2) are assessed pre-clinical deployment via in silico clinical trials and cross-sectional studies. Subsequent stages, spanning from diagnostic thinking to patient outcome efficacy (RADAR-3 to RADAR-5), require clinical integration and are explored via randomized controlled trials and cohort studies. Cost-effectiveness efficacy (RADAR-6) takes a societal perspective on financial feasibility, addressed via health-economic evaluations. The final level, RADAR-7, determines how prior valuations translate locally, evaluated through budget impact analysis, multi-criteria decision analyses, and prospective monitoring.

CONCLUSION

The RADAR framework offers a comprehensive framework for valuing radiology AI. Its layered, hierarchical structure, combined with a focus on local relevance, aligns RADAR seamlessly with the principles of value-based radiology.

CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT

The RADAR framework advances artificial intelligence in radiology by delineating a much-needed framework for comprehensive valuation.

KEYPOINTS

• Radiology artificial intelligence lacks a comprehensive approach to value assessment. • The RADAR framework provides a dynamic, hierarchical method for thorough valuation of radiology AI. • RADAR advances clinical radiology by bridging the artificial intelligence implementation gap.

Extrapolating empirical long-term survival data: the impact of updated follow-up data and parametric extrapolation methods on survival estimates in multiple myeloma

BACKGROUND

In economic evaluations, survival is often extrapolated to smooth out the Kaplan-Meier estimate and because the available data (e.g., from randomized controlled trials) are often right censored. Validation of the accuracy of extrapolated results can depend on the length of follow-up and the assumptions made about the survival hazard. Here, we analyze the accuracy of different extrapolation techniques while varying the data cut-off to estimate long-term survival in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) patients.

METHODS

Empirical data were available from a randomized controlled trial and a registry for MM patients treated with melphalan + prednisone, thalidomide, and bortezomib- based regimens. Standard parametric and spline models were fitted while artificially reducing follow-up by introducing database locks. The maximum follow-up for these locks varied from 3 to 13 years. Extrapolated (conditional) restricted mean survival time (RMST) was compared to the Kaplan-Meier RMST and models were selected according to statistical tests, and visual fit.

RESULTS

For all treatments, the RMST error decreased when follow-up and the absolute number of events increased, and censoring decreased. The decline in RMST error was highest when maximum follow-up exceeded six years. However, even when censoring is low there can still be considerable deviations in the extrapolated RMST conditional on survival until extrapolation when compared to the KM-estimate.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrate that both standard parametric and spline models could be worthy candidates when extrapolating survival for the populations examined. Nevertheless, researchers and decision makers should be wary of uncertainty in results even when censoring has decreased, and the number of events has increased.

Cost-effectiveness of a cardiac rehabilitation program specifically designed for patients with obesity within the OPTICARE XL randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

To assess the cost-effectiveness of a cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program specifically designed for cardiac patients with obesity versus standard CR.

DESIGN

Cost-effectiveness analysis based on observations in a randomized controlled clinical trial.

SETTING

Three regional CR centres in the Netherlands.

PARTICIPANTS

Cardiac patients (N=201) with obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m²) referred to CR.

INTERVENTIONS

Participants were randomised to a CR program specifically designed for patients with obesity (OPTICARE XL; N=102) or standard CR. OPTICARE XL included aerobic and strength exercise and behavioural coaching on diet and physical activity during 12 weeks, followed by a 9 month after-care program with 'booster' educational sessions. Standard CR consisted of a 6 to 12-week aerobic exercise program, supplemented with cardiovascular lifestyle education.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

An economic evaluation, with an 18-month time horizon, in terms of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and costs from the societal perspective was performed. Costs were reported in 2020 Euros, discounted at a 4% annual rate, and health effects were discounted at a 1.5% annual rate.

RESULTS

OPTICARE XL CR and standard CR resulted in comparable health gain per patient (0.958 versus 0.965 QALYs, respectively; p=0.96). Overall, OPTICARE XL CR saved costs (-€4,542) compared to the standard CR group. The direct costs for OPTICARE XL CR were higher than for standard CR (€10,712 vs. €9,951), whereas indirect costs were lower (€51,789 vs. €57,092), but these differences were not significant.

CONCLUSIONS

This economic evaluation showed no differences between OPTICARE XL CR and standard CR in health effects and costs in cardiac patients with obesity.

Cost-effectiveness of first line nivolumab-ipilimumab combination therapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A systematic review and methodological quality assessment

To assess the methodological quality of cost-effectiveness analyses (CEA) of nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab, we conducted a systematic literature review in the first-line treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), whose tumors express programmed death ligand-1, with no epidermal growth factor receptor or anaplastic lymphoma kinase genomic tumor aberrations. PubMed, Embase, and the Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Registry were searched, in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed by the Philips checklist and the Consensus Health Economic Criteria (CHEC) checklist. 171 records were identified. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Cost-effectiveness analyses differed substantially due to the applied modeling methods, sources of costs, health state utilities, and key assumptions. Quality assessment of the included studies highlighted shortcomings in data identification, uncertainty assessment, and methods transparency. Our systematic review and methodology assessment revealed that the methods of estimation of long-term outcomes, quantification of health state utility values, estimation of drug costs, the accuracy of data sources, and their credibility have important implications on the cost-effectiveness outcomes. None of the included studies fulfilled all of the criteria reported in the Philips and the CHEC checklists. To compound the economic consequences presented in these limited number of CEAs, ipilimumab's drug action as a combination therapy poses significant uncertainty. We encourage further research to address the economic consequences of these combination agents in future CEAs and the clinical uncertainties of ipilimumab for NSCLC in future trials.

Incorporating risk preferences of patients in the valuation of immune checkpoint inhibitors for non-small cell lung cancer

Immunotherapy offers a distinctive mechanism of action compared to traditional treatments, arising from additional value dimensions that may not be captured in standard health technology assessments. Cancer patients may have the expectation that immunotherapy provides durable, long-term survival gains. Moreover, some patients may be willing to take a 'risk' to undergo immunotherapy to achieve better survival outcomes. We reviewed quantitative methods that explored patients' risk preferences in their non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment choices, in PubMed (MEDLINE), from January 1, 2015, until July 1, 2022. The consideration of a value dimension ('hope') based on patients' risk-seeking preferences is specifically addressed for the valuation of immune checkpoint inhibitors in NSCLC. We reported that the quantitative methods that aim to measure patients' risk preferences or 'hope' empirically are emerging. Value assessments should not only comprise survival improvements for the mean or median patient but also consider methods that reflect durable, long-term overall survival gains for risk-seeking patients. However, the published evidence for incorporating 'hope' based on patients' stated preferences for uncertain treatment profiles is not strong, and future research could strengthen this evidence base. We encourage further research on the development and validation of quantification methods to incorporate 'hope' and risk preferences of patients treated with immunotherapy for NSCLC and beyond.

Long-Term Effects of Dexmedetomidine versus Propofol During the Implantation of a Neurostimulator-A Post-Trial Follow-Up Analysis

Objective

The success of neurostimulation depends partly on the amount of coverage of the neurostimulation-induced paresthesia of the painful area. This is often achieved by asking feedback from patients intraoperatively. If sedation analgesia is used, it is important that the patient is comfortable during sedation and easily arousable. If the patient is not well sedated or experiences residual effects of the sedation during testing, this can directly influence the ideal placement of the leads and indirectly the long-term effect of the treatment. It is our hypothesis that the quality of the sedation is directly coupled to the adequacy of lead placement and in this way in the result of the treatment. Dexmedetomidine is known for its easy production of arousable sedation. The aim of the present study was to compare the long-term effect of using dexmedetomidine versus propofol during the implantation of a neurostimulator.

Materials and Methods

This is a post-trial follow-up analysis of the DexMedPro cohort. The primary outcome was global perceived effect (GPE). The secondary outcomes were the course of pain intensity, the emotional and physical functioning at the time of follow-up, and the course of neurostimulation treatment. In this study, we used the patient satisfaction with sedation as a measure for sedation quality.

Results

Regarding the GPE, no statistically significant differences were found between the experimental groups in either subscale (ie, recovery (p=0.82) and satisfaction with the neurostimulation treatment at follow-up (p=0.06)). The same was found regarding the secondary parameters. A correlation was found between patient satisfaction with sedation during the lead implantation (side effects and procedural recall) and satisfaction at follow-up.

Conclusion

Regarding the long-term efficacy of neurostimulation treatment, no statistically significant differences were found between the dexmedetomidine and the propofol group. We observed a trend towards greater satisfaction with the neurostimulation treatment at follow-up in the dexmedetomidine group, compared to the propofol group.

A Systematic Review of Cost-Effectiveness Studies of Interventions With a Personalized Nutrition Component in Adults

OBJECTIVES

Important links between dietary patterns and diseases have been widely applied to establish nutrition interventions. However, knowledge about between-person heterogeneity regarding the benefits of nutrition intervention can be used to personalize the intervention and thereby improve health outcomes and efficiency. We performed a systematic review of cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs) of interventions with a personalized nutrition (PN) component to assess their methodology and findings.

METHODS

A systematic search (March 2019) was performed in 5 databases: EMBASE, Medline Ovid, Web of Science, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Google Scholar. CEAs involving interventions in adults with a PN component were included; CEAs focusing on clinical nutrition or undernutrition were excluded. The CHEERS checklist was used to assess the quality of CEAs.

RESULTS

We identified 49 eligible studies among 1792 unique records. Substantial variation in methodology was found. Most studies (91%) focused only on psychological concepts of PN such as behavior and preferences. Thirty-four CEAs were trial-based, 13 were modeling studies, and 4 studies were both trial- and model-based. Thirty-two studies used quality-adjusted life year as an outcome measure. Different time horizons, comparators, and modeling assumptions were applied, leading to differences in costs/quality-adjusted life years. Twenty-eight CEAs (49%) concluded that the intervention was cost-effective, and 75% of the incremental cost-utility ratios were cost-effective given a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50 000 per quality-adjusted life year.

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions with PN components are often evaluated using various types of models. However, most PN interventions have been considered cost-effective. More studies should examine the cost-effectiveness of PN interventions that combine psychological and biological concepts of personalization.

Cost-effectiveness of imaging strategies to diagnose and select patients with non-obstructive coronary artery disease for statin treatment in the United Kingdom

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – EU funding. Main funding source(s): The project leading to this publication has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 668142.

Background

Patients with non-obstructive coronary artery disease (NOCAD) are at a higher risk of cardiovascular events compared to those with normal arteries. Plaque rupture is associated with increased adverse events and statin therapy seems to be beneficial for plaque stabilisation. Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CCTA) is currently the non-invasive imaging modality of choice for the morphological evaluation of NOCAD in the United Kingdom (UK). However, CCTA provides limited information regarding the vulnerability of plaques to rupture and the selection of patients for preventive statin treatment. Currently being tested on patients, Spectral Photon-Counting CT (SPCCT) may provide increased accuracy for vulnerable plaque detection and, in turn, improved selection of patients for statin treatment.

Purpose

We investigated the potential cost-effectiveness of SPCCT (compared to a set of CCTA-based strategies) in identifying NOCAD patients with rupture-prone plaques for preventive statin treatment.

Methods

A decision tree and a Markov trace were developed to model the expected outcomes (costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs)) for a hypothetical UK cohort of 50-year-old male patients with stable chest pain and no history of CAD. Input data were obtained from the literature. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. The impact of a pairwise variation of SPCCT sensitivity and specificity was analysed. Furthermore, five competing imaging strategies were compared in terms of their lifetime costs and effects: 1) CCTA and treat NOCAD based on imaging results, 2) CCTA and treat all NOCAD, 3) CCTA and do not treat NOCAD, 4) SPCCT with high specificity and treat NOCAD based on imaging results, and 5) SPCCT with high sensitivity and treat NOCAD based on imaging results.

Results

Our deterministic and probabilistic results showed that an improved imaging test would add value compared to CCTA. While increased specificity (to 95%) is favorable at a lower willingness to pay (WTP) (up to ∼£9,000 per QALY), increased sensitivity (to 95%) is more likely to be favorable at a higher WTP (∼£9,000 to £120,000 per QALY). The role of a CCTA-treat-none strategy and a CCTA-treat-all strategy is minimal and potential only at really low (<£2,000 per QALY) and high (>£120,000 per QALY) WTP, respectively. The uncertainty around these results is highly correlated to the uncertainty around the long-term risk for NOCAD patients to experience myocardial infarction or stroke.

Conclusion

An improved imaging test based on higher sensitivity in identifying rupture-prone coronary plaques in NOCAD patients seems to have value in guiding the decision of preventive statin treatment in the UK. However, additional data regarding the efficacy of statins and of combined treatments for NOCAD patients are needed before the cost-effectiveness of SPCCT can be precisely estimated in this population.

Innovative Medical Technology and the Treatment Decision-Making Process in Multiple Sclerosis: A Focus Group Study to Examine Patient Perspectives

BACKGROUND

Disease-modifying therapies are given to people with multiple sclerosis (MS) to reduce disease progression and relapse frequency. Current modes of administration include oral, injectable and infusion therapy and the treatment decision-making process is complex. A novel mode of treatment administration, an implantable device, is currently under development, yet patient attitudes about the device are unknown. The aim of this study was 1) to understand the treatment decision-making process from the patient perspective and 2) to explore the possible acceptance of an implant to treat MS.

METHODS

Focus groups with people with MS were conducted in the Netherlands. Three topics were addressed: the treatment decision-making process, the current treatment landscape, and attitudes about the implantable device. All focus groups were recorded and transcribed and data were analyzed by raw data coding and creating themes. An online survey was conducted in the Netherlands to quantify interest in an implant.

RESULTS

Two focus group sessions were held (n=16 participants) and n=93 persons filled out the survey. The main theme that emerged was the constant uncertainty persons with MS face throughout their disease course and during treatment decisions (when to start, stop, continue or switch treatment). Patients were generally positive towards the implant but felt that efficacy and safety should be guaranteed.

CONCLUSION

People with MS want some form of control over their disease and treatment course. New medical technologies, such as an implant, may enhance the treatment landscape and with caution we postulate that it may be accepted by patients as a new mode of administration, though further research is needed. For medical technologies to be successful, patients should be engaged early on in the design process.

Future of Data Analytics in the Era of the General Data Protection Regulation in Europe

The development of evidence to demonstrate 'value for money' is regarded as an important step in facilitating the search for the optimal allocation of limited resources and has become an essential component in healthcare decision making. Real-world evidence collected from de-identified individuals throughout the continuum of healthcare represents the most valuable source in technology evaluation. However, in the European Union, the value assessment based on real-world data has become challenging as individuals have recently been given the right to have their personal data erased in the case of consent withdrawal or when the data are regarded as being no longer necessary. This act may limit the usefulness of data in the future as it may introduce information bias. Among healthcare stakeholders, this has become an important topic of discussion because it relates to the importance of data on one side and to the need for personal data protection on the other side, especially when it comes to "personal data related to the physical or mental health of a natural person, including the provision of health care services, which reveals information about his or her health status". At the forefront of these discussions are data protection issues as well as the population's trust in digital services. It seems that the new era has begun, where citizens and patients will have the ability to manage their personal or self-generated data. The European Commission has laid the groundwork for this paradigm shift that will steadily emerge in the coming years. To prepare for this change, we believe attention should be given to data security and other rules of data privacy. It has become increasingly important to ensure that individuals are properly introduced into complex environments with multiple sources of Big Data for clinical and behavioral purposes to provide an optimal balance between societal and individual benefits. In this article, a number of issues are considered and discussed, based upon the authors' experience, with the aim of helping the reader better understand the implications of the use of Big Data and the importance of data protection in the coming years.

Cost-effectiveness of Mechanical Thrombectomy More Than 6 Hours After Symptom Onset Among Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke

IMPORTANCE

Two 2018 randomized controlled trials (DAWN and DEFUSE 3) demonstrated the clinical benefit of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) more than 6 hours after onset in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Health-economic evidence is needed to determine whether the short-term health benefits of late MT translate to a cost-effective option during a lifetime in the United States.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the cost-effectiveness of 2 strategies (MT added to standard medical care [SMC] vs SMC alone) for various subgroups of patients with AIS receiving care more than 6 hours after symptom onset.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This economic evaluation study used the results of the DAWN and DEFUSE 3 trials to populate a cost-effectiveness model from a US health care perspective combining a decision tree and Markov trace. The DAWN and DEFUSE 3 trials enrolled 206 international patients from 2014 to 2017 and 182 US patients from 2016 to 2017, respectively. Patients were followed until 3 months after stroke. The clinical outcome at 3 months was available for 29 subgroups of patients with AIS and anterior circulation large vessel occlusions. Data analysis was conducted from July 2018 to October 2019.

EXPOSURES

MT with SMC in the extended treatment window vs SMC alone.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Expected costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) during lifetime were estimated. Deterministic results (incremental costs and effectiveness, incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, and net monetary benefit) were presented, and probabilistic analyses were performed for the total populations and 27 patient subgroups.

RESULTS

In the DAWN study, the MT group had a mean (SD) age of 69.4 (14.1) years and 42 of 107 (39.3%) were men, and the control group had a mean (SD) age of 70.7 (13.2) years and 51 of 99 (51.5%) were men. In the DEFUSE 3 study, the MT group had a median (interquartile range) age of 70 (59-79) years, and 46 of 92 (50.0%) were men, and the control group had a median (interquartile range) age of 71 (59-80) years, and 44 of 90 (48.9%) were men. For the total trial population, incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were $662/QALY and $13 877/QALY based on the DAWN and DEFUSE 3 trials, respectively. MT with SMC beyond 6 hours had a probability greater than 99.9% of being cost-effective vs SMC alone at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100 000/QALY. Subgroup analyses showed a wide range of probabilities for MT with SMC to be cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50 000/QALY, with the greatest uncertainty observed for patients with a National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score of at least 16 and for those aged 80 years or older.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The results of this study suggest that late MT added to SMC is cost-effective in all subgroups evaluated in the DAWN and DEFUSE 3 trials, with most results being robust in probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Future MT evidence-gathering could focus on older patients and those with National Institute of Health Stroke Scale scores of 16 and greater.

Patient needs and preferences in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Considering the multiple treatments approved for multiple sclerosis (MS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA), determining a treatment strategy for patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) can be challenging. To date, an overview of the needs and preferences of patients at each treatment decision-making moment is lacking. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review is to examine the existing literature about the needs and preferences of patients with CIS and RRMS when making treatment decisions.

METHODS

A systematic search was done using Embase, Medline, PsychINFO, Web of Science and Google Scholar. Eligibility criteria included whether the article described a study of adults with CIS/RRMS and reported patient needs or preferences regarding first-line disease modifying treatment (DMT) decisions. Publications were categorized by treatment decision: initiation of first DMT (D1), DMT adherence/discontinuation (D2a/D2b), and switch to a second DMT (D3). A separate category was created for stated preference studies such as discrete choice experiment methods to examine the relative importance of different treatment attributes. Publications were compared to identify key factors.

RESULTS

The search yielded 2789 articles after removal of duplicates and 434 full-text publications were reviewed for eligibility. Twenty-four articles fulfilled all criteria: n = 5 (D1), n = 12 (D2a), n = 13 (D2b), and n = 3 (D3); six articles studied more than one treatment decision. The need for social support is important during D1. The most commonly reported reasons for adherence/discontinuation/switch included forgetfulness, side-effects, and injection-related reasons. Eight articles described preference studies; the most important DMT attributes were efficacy, mode and frequency of administration, and side-effect profile.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding the needs and preferences of CIS/RRMS patients regarding DMT attributes and non-treatment related attributes are important to improve treatment decision-making and reduce non-adherence. Studies are needed to understand patient preferences upon treatment initiation. Furthermore, preference studies should include attributes based on the patient perspective.

Use of data-mining to support real-world cost analyses: An example using HER2-positive breast cancer in Iran

INTRODUCTION

Patient registries play an important role in obtaining real-world evidence of the cost-effectiveness of treatments. However, their implementation is costly and sometimes infeasible in many middle-income countries (MICs). We explored the combination of data-mining and a large claims database to estimate the direct healthcare costs of HER2-positive breast cancer (BC) treatment in Iran and the fraction of total costs from trastuzumab use.

METHOD

We performed a retrospective analysis of claims data from the Iran Social Security Organization, a health insurer which covers approximately 50%(~40 million) of the Iranian population, in the period of 21/03/2011-20/03/2014. A data-mining algorithm using R software and validated using patient dossiers in the Cancer Research Center identified 1295 patients and divided them into the three main HER2-positive breast cancer stages (early, loco-regional and advanced). A payer perspective was used to calculate the absolute and relative direct costs of healthcare services associated with the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer in the public and private healthcare systems.

RESULTS

The number of women totaled 802 (early), 125 (loco-regional) and 218 (advanced). The mean age[SD] was 45[10], 46[10] and 48[10] years, respectively, while mean follow-up in all stages was approximately one year. Average costs of direct healthcare care in early, loco-regional and advanced stages were €11,796 (95%CI: €9,356-€12,498), €8,253 (95%CI: €6,843-€10,002), and €17,742 (95%CI: €15,720-€19,505), respectively. Trastuzumab accounted for the largest share of total costs in all three stages (range: 53-76%).

CONCLUSION

Wherever comprehensive patient registries are infeasible or costly, real-world costs can be estimated through claims databases and data-mining strategies. Using this method, real-world costs have been estimated in Iran. The stage-specific cost estimates derived from this study can be used to perform real-world cost-effectiveness analyses of therapies for HER2-positive BC and support healthcare financing decisions.

Author Correction to: Adjuvant Trastuzumab Therapy for Early HER2-Positive Breast Cancer in Iran: A Cost-Effectiveness and Scenario Analysis for an Optimal Treatment Strategy

Page 95, Table 2, final row, second column: the mean Advanced treatment annual cost which.

Adjuvant Trastuzumab Therapy for Early HER2-Positive Breast Cancer in Iran: A Cost-Effectiveness and Scenario Analysis for an Optimal Treatment Strategy

INTRODUCTION

Clinical guidelines have recommended a 1-year trastuzumab regimen as standard care for early human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer; however, this recommendation can have a dramatic impact on total drug expenditures in middle-income countries (MICs). We performed a cost-effectiveness analysis from the Iranian healthcare perspective to find an optimum duration of trastuzumab use in Iran.

METHOD

We compared four treatment strategies comprising chemotherapy and varying durations of trastuzumab use (no trastuzumab, 6, 9 months, and 1 year), and a Markov model and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were used to estimate the costs and effects of the strategies. We then examined the cost effectiveness of the strategies at different willingness-to-pay (WTP) thresholds and ages at onset of treatment.

RESULTS

Incremental costs (versus no trastuzumab) were €8826 (6 months), €13,808 (9 months) and €18,588 (12 months), while incremental quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were 0.65 (6 months), 0.87 (9 months) and 1.14 (12 months). At a threshold of 3 × gross domestic product (GDP)/capita (€21,000/QALY) and for patients younger than 59 years, the 6-month protocol was most likely to be cost effective (probability of 42%). At a threshold of 4 × GDP/capita (€28,000/QALY), the 6-month and 1-year regimens were essentially equal in cost effectiveness (37 and 35%, respectively). At this WTP threshold, the 6-month and 1-year regimens were optimal strategies only for patients up to 66 and 44 years of age, respectively.

CONCLUSION

In contrast to clinical guidelines, 6 months of trastuzumab may be the most cost-effective option for Iran. The lower absolute WTP threshold and lower life expectancy compared with high-income countries are two crucial parameters in the cost effectiveness of interventions in MICs. It is therefore necessary to strike a balance between maximum population health and maintaining affordability in these countries.

Cost-effectiveness of enzyme replacement therapy with alglucosidase alfa in adult patients with Pompe disease

BACKGROUND

Pompe disease is a rare, progressive, metabolic disease, and the first treatable inheritable muscle disorder. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with alglucosidase alfa is disease specific and the only medicinal product authorized for the treatment of Pompe disease. Costs of ERT are very high as for most orphan drugs. This study investigates the cost-effectiveness of ERT compared to supportive treatment in adult patients with Pompe disease.

METHODS

Survival probabilities were estimated from an international observational dataset (n = 283) using a time-dependent Cox model. Quality of life was estimated on a Dutch observational dataset using a previously developed conceptual model which links clinical factors to quality of life. Costs included costs of ERT, costs of drug administration and other healthcare costs. Cost-effectiveness was estimated using a patient-level simulation model (n = 90), synthesising the information from underlying models for survival, quality of life and costs. The cost-effectiveness model estimated the (difference in) lifetime effects and costs for both treatments. Two scenarios were modelled: (1) a worse case scenario with no extrapolation of the survival gain due to ERT beyond the observed period (i.e. from 10 years onwards); and (2) a best case scenario with lifetime extrapolation of the survival gain due to ERT. Effects were expressed in (quality adjusted) life years (QALYs). Costs were discounted at 4.0% and effects at 1.5%.

RESULTS

Substantial increases in survival were estimated - discounted incremental life years of ERT ranged from 1.9 years to 5.4 years in the scenarios without and with extrapolation of survival gains beyond the observed period. Quality of life was also significantly better for patients receiving ERT. Incremental costs were considerable and primarily consisted of the costs of ERT. Incremental costs per QALY were €3.2 million for scenario 1 and €1.8 million for scenario 2.

CONCLUSIONS

The availability of extended, prospectively collected, longitudinal observational data on the most important input parameters required to construct a cost-effectiveness model is quite exceptional for orphan diseases. The cost-effectiveness model showed substantial survival gains from ERT. Despite these substantial gains, ERT was not cost-effective in the treatment of adult Pompe disease because of the high cost of treatment.

Comparison of Three Methods to Assess Therapeutic Quality Control of Treatment with Vitamin K Antagonists

During treatment with vitamin K antagonists, International Normalized Ratios (INR) are determined periodically to maintain a therapeutic level of anticoagulation. We evaluated two existing methods for therapeutic quality control (linear interpolation and equidivision), with regard to their validity and reproducibility. In addition, we proposed and evaluated a (hybrid) method that takes into account potential effects of dosage modifications when INRs are far out of the target range. Validity was assessed by deleting intermediary INR results and estimating this INR based on the two surrounding INRs with each of the three methods. The estimated INRs were then compared with the observed INR.

Reproducibility of time spent in an INR range was evaluated for each of the three methods by deleting at random increasing proportions of INRs and comparing these estimates with the situation without deletions. We found that estimates of time spent in INR categories obtained with equidivision were most reproducible, but least valid. The hybrid method showed slightly higher validity and reproducibility in comparison with linear interpolation. Since these differences were small, linear interpolation is preferable to the hybrid method, since the calculations involved are easier.

Health-related quality of life and its determinants in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma

PURPOSE

Based on improvements of progression-free survival (PFS), new agents for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) have been approved. It is assumed that one of the benefits is a delay in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) deterioration as a result of a delay in progression of disease. However, little data are available supporting this relationship. This study aims to provide insight into the most important determinants of HRQoL (including progression of disease) of patients with mRCC.

METHODS

A patient registry (PERCEPTION) was created to evaluate treatment of patients with (m)RCC in the Netherlands. HRQoL was measured, using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and EQ-5D-5L, every 3 months in the first year of participation in the study, and every 6 months in the second year. Participation started as soon as possible following a diagnosis of (m)RCC. Random effects models were used to study associations between HRQoL and patient and disease characteristics, symptoms and treatment.

RESULTS

Eighty-seven patients with mRCC completed 304 questionnaires. The average EORTC QLQ-C30 global health status was 69 (SD, 19) before progression and 61 (SD, 22) after progression of disease. Similarly, the average EQ-5D utility was 0.75 (SD, 0.19) before progression and 0.66 (SD, 0.30) after progression of disease. The presence of fatigue, pain, dyspnoea, and the application of radiotherapy were associated with significantly lower EQ-5D utilities.

CONCLUSIONS

Key drivers for reduced HRQoL in mRCC are disease symptoms. Since symptoms increase with progression of disease, targeted therapies that increase PFS are expected to postpone reductions in HRQoL in mRCC.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of new generation coronary CT scanners for difficult-to-image patients

AIMS

New generation dual-source coronary CT (NGCCT) scanners with more than 64 slices were evaluated for patients with (known) or suspected of coronary artery disease (CAD) who are difficult to image: obese, coronary calcium score > 400, arrhythmias, previous revascularization, heart rate > 65 beats per minute, and intolerance of betablocker. A cost-effectiveness analysis of NGCCT compared with invasive coronary angiography (ICA) was performed for these difficult-to-image patients for England and Wales.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Five models (diagnostic decision model, four Markov models for CAD progression, stroke, radiation and general population) were integrated to estimate the cost-effectiveness of NGCCT for both suspected and known CAD populations. The lifetime costs and effects from the National Health Service perspective were estimated for three strategies: (1) patients diagnosed using ICA, (2) using NGCCT, and (3) patients diagnosed using a combination of NGCCT and, if positive, followed by ICA. In the suspected population, the strategy where patients only undergo a NGCCT is a cost-effective option at accepted cost-effectiveness thresholds. The strategy of using NGCCT in combination with ICA is the most favourable strategy for patients with known CAD. The most influential factors behind these results are the percentage of patients being misclassified (a function of both diagnostic accuracy and the prior likelihood), the complication rates of the procedures, and the cost price of a NGCCT scan.

CONCLUSION

The use of NGCCT might be considered cost-effective in both populations since it is cost-saving compared to ICA and generates similar effects.

How to prepare a systematic review of economic evaluations for informing evidence-based healthcare decisions: data extraction, risk of bias, and transferability (part 3/3)

INTRODUCTION

This article is part of the series "How to Prepare a Systematic Review (SR) of Economic Evaluations (EE) for Informing Evidence-based Healthcare Decisions" in which a five-step-approach for conducting a SR of EE is proposed. Areas covered: This paper explains the data extraction process, the risk of bias assessment and the transferability of EEs by means of a narrative review and expert opinion. SRs play a critical role in determining the comparative cost-effectiveness of healthcare interventions. It is important to determine the risk of bias and the transferability of an EE. Expert commentary: Over the past decade, several criteria lists have been developed. This article aims to provide recommendations on these criteria lists based on the thoroughness of development, feasibility, overall quality, recommendations of leading organizations, and widespread use.

Which Questionnaire Should Be Used to Measure Quality-of-Life Utilities in Patients with Acute Leukemia? An Evaluation of the Validity and Interpretability of the EQ-5D-5L and Preference-Based Questionnaires Derived from the EORTC QLQ-C30

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to assess the validity and interpretability of different preference-based questionnaires (generic 5-level EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire [EQ-5D-5L], cancer-specific Quality of Life Questionnaire Preference-Based Measure, and European Organization of Randomized Controlled Trials 8 Dimension [EORTC-8D]) in patients with acute leukemia.

METHODS

Patients who participated in Hemato-Oncologie voor Volwassenen Nederland (HOVON - the Haemato Oncology Foundation for Adults in the Netherlands) clinical trials between 1999 and 2011 at a single hospital were invited to complete the questionnaires. Interpretability was evaluated by the frequency of incomplete data and highest and lowest possible scores. Content validity was evaluated by exploring the health-related quality-of-life domains included in the questionnaires. Construct validity was assessed using correlations with other quality-of-life scales (EQ-visual analogue scale score and global quality-of-life scale of the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire) and ability to distinguish between patients with different health statuses.

RESULTS

Questionnaires were returned by 89% (111 of 125) of the patients. Six to seven respondents did not return full questionnaires. Perfect health on the EQ-5D-5L was reported by 32 respondents and many of them (N = 17) did report health problems on other questionnaires. All questionnaires were strongly correlated (range 0.61-0.78) with other quality-of-life scales and yielded substantially different utility values for patients with different health statuses. Nevertheless, the disease-specific preference-based questionnaires showed greater discriminatory power.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the Quality of Life Questionnaire Preference-Based Measure and the EORTC-8D appear to have better validity, this study does not provide any strong evidence against the use of the EQ-5D-5L for measuring quality-of-life utilities in acute leukemia. However, our findings need to be confirmed in larger longitudinal studies.

Variation in use of targeted therapies for metastatic renal cell carcinoma: Results from a Dutch population-based registry

BACKGROUND

For patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), targeted therapies have entered the market since 2006. The aims of this study were to evaluate the uptake and use of targeted therapies for mRCC in The Netherlands, examine factors associated with the prescription of targeted therapies in daily clinical practice and study their effectiveness in terms of overall survival (OS).

METHODS

Two cohorts from PERCEPTION, a population-based registry of mRCC patients, were used: a 2008-2010 Cohort (n = 645) and a 2011-2013 Cohort (n = 233). Chi-squared tests for trend were used to study time trends in the use of targeted therapy. Patients were grouped based on the eligibility criteria of the SUTENT trial, the trial that led to sunitinib becoming standard of care, to investigate the use of targeted therapies amongst patients fulfilling those criteria. Multi-level logistic regression was used to identify patient subgroups that are less likely to receive targeted therapies.

RESULTS

Approximately one-third of patients fulfilling SUTENT trial eligibility criteria did not receive any targeted therapy (29 % in the 2008-2010 Cohort; 35 % in the 2011-2013 Cohort). Patients aged 65+ years were less likely to receive targeted therapy in both cohorts and different risk groups (odds ratios range between 0.84-0.92); other factors like number of metastatic sites were of influence in some subgroups. Amongst treated patients, there was a decreasing trend in sunitinib use over time (p = 0.0061), and an increasing trend in pazopanib use (p = 0.0005).

CONCLUSIONS

Targeted therapies have largely replaced interferon-alfa as first-line standard of care. Nevertheless, many eligible patients in Dutch daily practice did not receive targeted therapies despite their ability to improve survival. Reasons for their apparent underutilisation should be examined more carefully.

Individualized Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE)-Inhibitor Therapy in Stable Coronary Artery Disease Based on Clinical and Pharmacogenetic Determinants: The PERindopril GENEtic (PERGENE) Risk Model

Background

Patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) constitute a heterogeneous group in which the treatment benefits by angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE)‐inhibitor therapy vary between individuals. Our objective was to integrate clinical and pharmacogenetic determinants in an ultimate combined risk prediction model.

Methods and Results

Clinical, genetic, and outcomes data were used from 8726 stable CAD patients participating in the EUROPA/PERGENE trial of perindopril versus placebo. Multivariable analysis of phenotype data resulted in a clinical risk score (range, 0–21 points). Three single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (rs275651 and rs5182 in the angiotensin‐II type I‐receptor gene and rs12050217 in the bradykinin type I‐receptor gene) were used to construct a pharmacogenetic risk score (PGXscore; range, 0–6 points). Seven hundred eighty‐five patients (9.0%) experienced the primary endpoint of cardiovascular mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction or resuscitated cardiac arrest, during 4.2 years of follow‐up. Absolute risk reductions ranged from 1.2% to 7.5% in the 73.5% of patients with PGXscore of 0 to 2. As a consequence, estimated annual numbers needed to treat ranged from as low as 29 (clinical risk score ≥10 and PGXscore of 0) to 521 (clinical risk score ≤6 and PGXscore of 2). Furthermore, our data suggest that long‐term perindopril prescription in patients with a PGXscore of 0 to 2 is cost‐effective.

Conclusions

Both baseline clinical phenotype, as well as genotype determine the efficacy of widely prescribed ACE inhibition in stable CAD. Integration of clinical and pharmacogenetic determinants in a combined risk prediction model demonstrated a very wide range of gradients of absolute treatment benefit.

Using meta-regression analyses in addition to conventional systematic review methods to examine the variation in cost-effectiveness results - a case study

Background

Systematic reviews of cost-effectiveness analyses summarize results and describe study characteristics. Variability in the study results is often explained qualitatively or based on sensitivity analyses of individual studies. However, variability due to input parameters and study characteristics (e.g., funding or study quality) is often not statistically explained. As a case study, a systematic review on the cost-effectiveness of drug-eluting stents (DES) versus bare-metal stents (BMS) using meta-regression analyses is performed to explore the usefulness of such methods compared with conventional review methods.

Methods

We attempted to identify and review all modelling studies published until January 2012 that compared costs and consequences of DES versus BMS. We extracted general study information (e.g., funding), modelling methods, values of input parameters, and quality of the model using the Philips et al. checklist. Associations between study characteristics and the incremental costs and effectiveness of individual analyses were explored using regression analyses corrected for study ID.

Results

Sixteen eligible studies were identified, with a combined total of 508 analyses. The overall quality of the models was moderate (59 % ± 15 %). This study showed associations (e.g., type of lesion) that were expected (based on individual studies), however the meta-regression analyses revealed also unpredicted associations: e.g., model quality was negatively associated with repeat revascularizations avoided.

Conclusions

Meta-regressions can be of added value, identifying significant associations that could not be identified using conventional review methods or by sensitivity analyses of individual studies. Furthermore, this study underlines the need to examine input parameters and perform a quality check of studies when interpreting the results.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-015-1230-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Treatment variation in stent choice in patients with stable or unstable coronary artery disease

AIM

Variations in treatment are the result of differences in demographic and clinical factors (e.g. anatomy), but physician and hospital factors may also contribute to treatment variation. The choice of treatment is considered important since it could lead to differences in long-term outcomes. This study explores the associations with stent choice: i.e. drug-eluting stent (DES) versus bare-metal stents (BMS) for Dutch patients diagnosed with stable or unstable coronary artery disease (CAD).

METHODS & RESULTS

Associations with treatment decisions were based on a prospective cohort of 692 patients with stable or unstable CAD. Of those patients, 442 patients were treated with BMS or DES. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to identify variables associated with stent choice. Bivariate analyses showed that NYHA class, number of diseased vessels, previous percutaneous coronary intervention, smoking, diabetes, and the treating hospital were associated with stent type. After correcting for other associations the treating hospital remained significantly associated with stent type in the stable CAD population.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that several factors were associated with stent choice. While patients generally appear to receive the most optimal stent given their clinical characteristics, stent choice seems partially determined by the treating hospital, which may lead to differences in long-term outcomes.

A conceptual disease model for adult Pompe disease

Background

Studies in orphan diseases are, by nature, confronted with small patient populations, meaning that randomized controlled trials will have limited statistical power. In order to estimate the effectiveness of treatments in orphan diseases and extrapolate effects into the future, alternative models might be needed. The purpose of this study is to develop a conceptual disease model for Pompe disease in adults (an orphan disease). This conceptual model describes the associations between the most important levels of health concepts for Pompe disease in adults, from biological parameters via physiological parameters, symptoms and functional indicators to health perceptions and final health outcomes as measured in terms of health-related quality of life.

Methods

The structure of the Wilson-Cleary health outcomes model was used as a blueprint, and filled with clinically relevant aspects for Pompe disease based on literature and expert opinion. Multiple observations per patient from a Dutch cohort study in untreated patients were used to quantify the relationships between the different levels of health concepts in the model by means of regression analyses.

Results

Enzyme activity, muscle strength, respiratory function, fatigue, level of handicap, general health perceptions, mental and physical component scales and utility described the different levels of health concepts in the Wilson-Cleary model for Pompe disease. Regression analyses showed that functional status was affected by fatigue, muscle strength and respiratory function. Health perceptions were affected by handicap. In turn, self-reported quality of life was affected by health perceptions.

Conclusions

We conceptualized a disease model that incorporated the mechanisms believed to be responsible for impaired quality of life in Pompe disease. The model provides a comprehensive overview of various aspects of Pompe disease in adults, which can be useful for both clinicians and policymakers to support their multi-faceted decision making.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13023-015-0334-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Which factors may determine the necessary and feasible type of effectiveness evidence? A mixed methods approach to develop an instrument to help coverage decision-makers

OBJECTIVES

Reimbursement decisions require evidence of effectiveness and, in general, a blinded randomised controlled trial (RCT) is the preferred study design to provide it. However, there are situations where a cohort study, or even patient series, can be deemed acceptable. The aim of this study was to develop an instrument that first examines which study characteristics of a blinded RCT are necessary, and then, if particular characteristics are considered necessary, examines whether these characteristics are feasible.

DESIGN

We retrospectively studied 22 interventions from 20 reimbursement reports concerning medical specialist care made by the Dutch National Health Care Institute (ZIN) to identify any factors that influenced the necessity and feasibility of blinded RCTs, and their constituent study characteristics, that is, blinding, randomisation and a control group. A literature review was performed to identify additional factors. Additional expertise was included by interviewing eight experts in epidemiology, medicine and ethics. The resulting instrument was called the FIT instrument (Feasible Information Trajectory), and was prospectively validated using three consecutive reimbursement reports.

RESULTS

(Blinded) RCT evidence was lacking in 5 of 11 positive reimbursement decisions and 3 of 11 negative decisions. In the reimbursement reports, we found no empirical evidence supporting situations where a blinded RCT is unnecessary. The literature also revealed few arguments against the necessity of a blinded RCT. In contrast, many factors influencing the feasibility of randomisation, a control group and blinding, were found in the reimbursement reports and the literature; for example, when a patient population is too small or when an intervention is common practice, randomisation will be hindered.

CONCLUSIONS

Policy regarding the necessity and feasibility of different types of evidence of effectiveness would benefit from systematic guidance. The FIT instrument has the potential to support transparent, reproducible and well-founded decisions on appropriate evidence of effectiveness in medical specialist care.

Access to orphan drugs in western Europe: can more systematic policymaking really help to avoid different decisions about the same drug?

When the Scottish government recently launched a £21 million fund to provide patients with rare diseases access to treatment, Alex Neill, the Scottish Health Secretary, stated that 'it was only right that Scottish patients with rare conditions had access to innovative medicines which were clinically justified, and that they were not disadvantaged due to the very high cost of these treatments'. This statement raises questions about the criteria that play a role in reimbursement decisions on orphan drugs. This editorial examines the criteria that were used in the decisions about the reimbursement of an orphan drug for Pompe disease and explores methods to improve the transparency and consistency of reimbursement decisions for orphan drugs in general.

Beliefs about medicines in Dutch acenocoumarol and phenprocoumon users

AIMS

Adherence to the generally complex regimen of coumarin derivatives is vital in order to keep patients in the adequate International Normalized Ratio range. Patients' beliefs about medicines are associated with the level of therapy adherence. Our first aim was to assess beliefs about coumarins. Secondly, we compared the beliefs about coumarins with the beliefs about other cardiovascular drugs.

METHODS

The Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire was used to assess medication beliefs. The questionnaire was completed by new users of coumarins indicated for venous thromboembolism or atrial fibrillation. A necessity score and a concerns score were calculated for all patients. The analyses were repeated for users of antihypertensive drugs or statins (not using coumarins).

RESULTS

Three hundred and twenty patients were included in the analysis of the beliefs about coumarins. The mean necessity score was 15.3, the concerns score 12.3 and the necessity-concerns differential 3.0. Patients with venous thromboembolism (n = 71) had higher necessity scores than patients with atrial fibrillation (n = 249; 16.8 vs. 14.9, P < 0.001). The mean necessity score in 493 users of other cardiovascular drugs was 16.1, the concerns score 13.5 and the necessity-concerns differential 2.6. The necessity score was higher in chronic cardiovascular drug users (n = 192) than in new users (n = 301; 17.9 vs. 14.9, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Coumarin users score higher on the necessity scale than on the concerns scale, which is also the case in users of other cardiovascular drugs. Patients with atrial fibrillation have a less positive attitude towards these drugs than patients with venous thromboembolism, and could therefore benefit more from specific attention.

Patient perspective on remote monitoring of cardiovascular implantable electronic devices: rationale and design of the REMOTE-CIED study

Background

Remote patient monitoring is a safe and effective alternative for the in-clinic follow-up of patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). However, evidence on the patient perspective on remote monitoring is scarce and inconsistent.

Objectives

The primary objective of the REMOTE-CIED study is to evaluate the influence of remote patient monitoring versus in-clinic follow-up on patient-reported outcomes. Secondary objectives are to: 1) identify subgroups of patients who may not be satisfied with remote monitoring; and 2) investigate the cost-effectiveness of remote monitoring.

Methods

The REMOTE-CIED study is an international randomised controlled study that will include 900 consecutive heart failure patients implanted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) compatible with the Boston Scientific LATITUDE® Remote Patient Management system at participating centres in five European countries. Patients will be randomised to remote monitoring or in-clinic follow-up. The In-Clinic group will visit the outpatient clinic every 3–6 months, according to standard practice. The Remote Monitoring group only visits the outpatient clinic at 12 and 24 months post-implantation, other check-ups are performed remotely. Patients are asked to complete questionnaires at five time points during the 2-year follow-up.

Conclusion

The REMOTE-CIED study will provide insight into the patient perspective on remote monitoring in ICD patients, which could help to support patient-centred care in the future.

Is it cost-effective to use a test to decide which individuals with an intermediate cardiovascular disease risk would benefit from statin treatment?

BACKGROUND

The 2012 European guidelines recommend statins for intermediate-risk individuals with elevated cholesterol levels. Improved discrimination of intermediate-risk individuals is needed to prevent both cardiovascular disease (CVD) and statin side-effects (e.g. myopathy) efficiently since only 3-15 in every 100 individuals actually experience a cardiovascular event in the next 10 years. We estimated the potential cost-effectiveness of a hypothetical test which helps to determine which individuals will benefit from statins.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Prognosis of different age- and gender-specific cohorts with an intermediate risk was simulated with a Markov model to estimate the potential costs and quality-adjusted life-years for four strategies: treat all with statins, treat none with statins, treat according to the European guidelines, or use a test to select individuals for statin treatment. The test-first strategy dominated the other strategies if the hypothetical test was 100% accurate and cost no more than €237. This strategy and the treat-all strategy were equally effective but the test generated lower costs by reducing statin usage and side-effects. The treat-none strategy was the least effective strategy. Threshold analyses show that the test must be highly accurate (especially sensitive) and inexpensive to be the most cost-effective strategy, since myopathy has a negligible impact on cost-effectiveness and statin costs are low.

CONCLUSION

Use of a highly accurate prognostic test could reduce overall CVD risk, frequency of drug side-effects and lifetime costs. However, no additional test would add usefully to risk prediction over SCORE when it does not satisfy the costs and accuracy requirements.

Cost-effectiveness of enzyme replacement therapy with alglucosidase alfa in classic-infantile patients with Pompe disease

BACKGROUND

Infantile Pompe disease is a rare metabolic disease. Patients generally do not survive the first year of life. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) has proven to have substantial effects on survival in infantile Pompe disease. However, the costs of therapy are very high. In this paper, we assess the cost-effectiveness of enzyme replacement therapy in infantile Pompe disease.

METHODS

A patient simulation model was used to compare costs and effects of ERT with costs of effects of supportive therapy (ST). The model was filled with data on survival, quality of life and costs. For both arms of the model, data on survival were obtained from international literature. In addition, survival as observed among 20 classic-infantile Dutch patients, who all received ERT, was used. Quality of life was measured using the EQ-5D and assumed to be the same in both treatment groups. Costs included the costs of ERT (which depend on a child's weight), infusions, costs of other health care utilization, and informal care. A lifetime time horizon was used, with 6-month time cycles.

RESULTS

Life expectancy was significantly longer in the ERT group than in the ST group. On average, ST receiving patients were modelled not to survive the first half year of life; whereas the life expectancy in the ERT patients was modelled to be almost 14 years. Lifetime incremental QALYs were 6.8. Incremental costs were estimated to be € 7.0 million, which primarily consisted of treatment costs (95%). The incremental costs per QALY were estimated to be € 1.0 million (range sensitivity analyses: € 0.3 million - € 1.3 million). The incremental cost per life year gained was estimated to be € 0.5 million.

CONCLUSIONS

The incremental costs per QALY ratio is far above the conventional threshold values. Results from univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analyses showed the robustness of the results.

Explaining length of stay variation of episodes of care in the Netherlands

OBJECTIVES

Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) systems aim to classify patients into mutually exclusive groups of patients, with the patients in each group having the same expected length of stay (LOS). We examined the ability of current classification variables to explain LOS variation between DRG-like Diagnosis Treatment Combination (DBC)s for ten episodes of care in the Netherlands, including breast cancer, stroke and inguinal hernia repair. Additionally, we assessed the predictive ability of some other classification variables.

METHODS

For each episode of care, the relevant DBC codes of all hospitalizations in 2008 were identified and all available determinants that may serve as classification variables were acquired from the national database. Ordinary least squares regression was used to examine the predictive ability of these classification variables.

RESULTS

The current classification variables are not sufficiently distinct to classify patients into mutually exclusive groups of patients. ICU admissions and hospital type may serve as valuable classification variables. Additionally, episode-specific variables may improve the Dutch grouping algorithm.

CONCLUSIONS

Although it may not be feasible in the short term, grouping algorithms would benefit greatly from the introduction of classification variables tailored to the needs of specific episodes of care. A first step would be to focus on 'general' classification variables meaningful for specific episodes of care.

The faces of personalized medicine: a framework for understanding its meaning and scope

The objective of this article was to provide a framework for understanding the different definitions of the term "personalized medicine." The term personalized medicine is used regularly but interpreted in different ways. This article approaches the term by starting with a broad view of clinical medicine, where three components can be distinguished: the questions (e.g., what is the diagnosis?), the methods used to answer them (e.g., a test), and the available actions (e.g., to give or not give a particular drug). Existing definitions of personalized medicine disagree about which questions, methods, and actions fall within its domain. Some define the term narrowly, referring to the use of a diagnostic test to predict drug response, thereby clarifying whether or not a patient will benefit from that drug. An example of this combination is the HER2/neu test to predict the effectiveness of trastuzumab in breast cancer. Many who adopt this definition associate the concept of personalized medicine with fields such as genetics, genomics, and other types of "-omics." In contrast, others view personalized medicine as a concept that has always existed, because medicine has always considered the needs of the individual. One definition of personalized medicine that accommodates both interpretations is "the use of combined knowledge (genetic or otherwise) about a person to predict disease susceptibility, disease prognosis, or treatment response and thereby improve that person's health." This predictive ability can increase over time through innovations in various technologies, resulting in further improvements in health outcomes. Moreover, these developments can lead to a better understanding of the underlying causes of disease, which can eventually lead to breakthroughs in the treatment of individual patients. In that sense, a truly personalized form of medicine can also be seen as an ideal, a goal that will be achieved only after multiple advances in science. Although the term personalized medicine was rechristened somewhat recently, our ability to personalize medicine will continue to advance in unimaginable ways as we come to learn more about the heterogeneity that exists among individuals and diseases.

Systematic review of available evidence on 11 high-priced inpatient orphan drugs

Background

Attention for Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) is growing, but evidence for orphan drugs is argued to be limited and inferior. This study systematically reviews the available evidence on clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and budget impact for orphan drugs.

Methods

A systematic review was performed in PubMed, Embase, NHS EED and HTA databases for 11 inpatient orphan drugs listed on the Dutch policy rule on orphan drugs. For included studies, we determined the type of study and various study characteristics.

Results

A total of 338 studies met all inclusion criteria. Almost all studies (96%) focused on clinical effectiveness of the drug. Of these studies, most studies were case studies (41%) or observational studies (39%). However, for all orphan diseases at least one experimental or quasi-experimental study was found, and a randomized clinical trial was available for 60% of the orphan drugs. Eight studies described the cost-effectiveness of an orphan drug; an equal number described an orphan drug’s budget impact.

Conclusions

Despite the often heard claim that RCTs are not feasible for orphan drugs, we found that an RCT was available in 60% of orphan drugs investigated. Cost-effectiveness and budget impact analyses for orphan drugs are seldom published.

Long-term outcomes of continuous intrathecal baclofen infusion for treatment of spasticity: a prospective multicenter follow-up study

Long-term outcomes of 115 patients treated with continuous intrathecal baclofen infusion are reported. A prospective follow-up study was conducted in eight centers. Patients were followed up over a 12-month period. The follow-up scores on the three spasticity scales (Ashworth, spasm, and clonus scales) were significantly lower at every follow-up visit in comparison to the intake score, except for the clonus scale scores at 12 months. Improvements in health-related quality of life (EQ-5D) and functionality (SIP-68, functional independence measure) were small and nonsignificant. A significant reduction in severity of self-reported personal problems rating scale was observed. Sixty-six patients had no adverse events. Types of adverse events reported were wound complications (22%), catheter problems (36%), cerebrospinal fluid leakage (25%), and other complications (17%). Intrathecal baclofen reduces spasticity and severity of patient-reported problems but its effect on quality of life and functionality is less apparent. Improvements are desired in selection criteria, design of spinal catheters, and outcome scales.

The development and validation of a decision-analytic model representing the full disease course of acute myeloid leukemia

BACKGROUND

The treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is moving towards personalized medicine. However, due to the low incidence of AML, it is not always feasible to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of personalized medicine using clinical trials. Decision analytic models provide an alternative data source.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a decision analytic model that represents the full disease course of AML.

METHODS

We used a micro simulation with discrete event components to incorporate both patient and disease heterogeneity. Input parameters were calculated from patient-level data. Two hematologists critically evaluated the model to ensure face validity. Internal and external validity was tested by comparing complete remission (CR) rates and survival outcomes of the model with original data, other clinical trials and a population-based study.

RESULTS

No significant differences in patient and treatment characteristics, CR rate, 5-year overall and disease-free survival were found between the simulated and original data. External validation showed no significant differences in survival between simulated data and other clinical trials. However, differences existed between the simulated data and a population-based study.

CONCLUSIONS

The model developed in this study is proved to be valid for analysis of an AML population participating in a clinical trial. The generalizability of the model to a broader patient population has not been proven yet. Further research is needed to identify differences between the clinical trial population and other AML patients and to incorporate these differences in the model.