Estimating the Relationship Between EQ-5D-5L and EQ-5D-3L: Results from a UK Population Study

Psychometric Performance of the EQ Health and Wellbeing Short in a United Kingdom Population Sample

OBJECTIVES

This study assessed the psychometric performance and construct validity of the EQ Health and Wellbeing Short (EQ-HWB-S), using a validated measure, the EQ-5D-5L, as a comparator.

METHODS

The experimental version of the EQ-HWB-S was compared with the EQ-5D-5L to assess the psychometric performance of the measures. Data were drawn from the valuation stages of the Extending the Quality-Adjusted Life-Year project (UK general population, n = 429) and the EQ-5D-5L UK valuation pilot study (UK general population, n = 248). Construct validity was assessed based on convergent validity, using Spearman correlations and Pearson correlations. Known-group validity was assessed by estimating effect sizes to assess the ability of the EQ-HWB-S and EQ-5D-5L to discriminate between known groups based on "healthy" status, presence of a long-term condition, health and life satisfaction, age, and employment status. The degree of agreement in utility values across instruments was also evaluated using Bland-Altman plots.

RESULTS

Strong associations (rs ≥ 0.5, P < .001) were found between conceptually overlapping dimensions and the utility scores of the EQ-HWB-S and EQ-5D-5L. The instruments performed comparably in discriminating between known groups including healthy versus unhealthy groups (based on the visual analog scale ≥ 80), long-term condition (vs no long-term condition), and above versus below average health and life satisfaction and employed (vs unemployed and long-term sick).

CONCLUSIONS

The EQ-HWB-S performs favorably with utility values successfully discriminating between groups in which differences are expected. Convergence between the EQ-HWB-S and EQ-5D-5L is evident, especially between conceptually overlapping dimensions.

Clinical and Humanistic Burden of Non-inhibitor Haemophilia A in Five European Countries: Insights from the CHESS II Study

INTRODUCTION

Haemophilia A (HA) is a congenital bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency/absence of factor VIII (FVIII) and characterised by frequent, acute and prolonged spontaneous or traumatic bleeding events, often leading to haemophilic arthropathy and progressive joint deterioration. HA severity is characterized by endogenous FVIII activity: mild (> 5-40%), moderate (1-5%), or severe (< 1%). HA poses a substantial clinical and socioeconomic burden on people with HA (PWHA), their caregivers, and society. This analysis evaluates clinical and patient-centric outcomes of a cohort of individuals with non-inhibitor HA sampled from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK in the 'Cost of Haemophilia in Europe: A Socioeconomic Survey II' (CHESS II) study.

METHODS

CHESS II was a cross-sectional burden-of-illness study collecting clinical and socioeconomic data on adult (≥ 18 years) individuals with haemophilia A or B of any severity with or without inhibitors from eight European countries. Descriptive analyses were conducted examining physician-reported demographics, clinical and health resource utilisation information. PWHA-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) using the EQ-5D-5L and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) were also examined. Outcomes were stratified by HA severity and reported at country level.

RESULTS

Demographics and clinical characteristics of the cohort (N = 880) were generally consistent across countries. Individuals with severe HA experienced more frequent bleeding events and joint disease despite broad use of factor replacement therapy long-term prophylaxis. A minority of those with mild or moderate HA also experienced such challenges. HRQoL and workforce participation diminished, and chronic pain increased, with increasing HA severity.

CONCLUSION

This analysis provides up-to-date insights on the impact of HA across five European countries. Increasing HA severity was generally associated with worse clinical outcomes, HRQoL and workforce participation. These findings suggest a place for continued evidence-based tailored treatment and clinical management approaches in addressing the residual burden of HA.

Cost-utility analysis of molnupiravir for high-risk, community-based adults with COVID-19: an economic evaluation of the PANORAMIC trial

BACKGROUND

The cost-effectiveness of molnupiravir, an oral antiviral for early treatment of SARS-CoV-2, has not been established in vaccinated populations.

AIM

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of molnupiravir relative to usual care alone among mainly vaccinated community-based people at higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 over 6 months.

DESIGN AND SETTING

An economic evaluation of the PANORAMIC trial in the UK.

METHOD

A cost-utility analysis that adopted a UK NHS and personal social services perspective and a 6-month time horizon was performed using PANORAMIC trial data. Cost-effectiveness was expressed in terms of incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses assessed the impacts of uncertainty and heterogeneity. Threshold analysis explored the price for molnupiravir consistent with likely reimbursement.

RESULTS

In the base-case analysis, molnupiravir had higher mean costs of £449 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 445 to 453) and higher mean QALYs of 0.0055 (95% CI = 0.0044 to 0.0067) than usual care (mean incremental cost per QALY of £81 190). Sensitivity and subgroup analyses showed similar results, except for those aged ≥75 years, with a 55% probability of being cost-effective at a £30 000 per QALY threshold. Molnupiravir would have to be priced around £147 per course to be cost-effective at a £15 000 per QALY threshold.

CONCLUSION

At the current cost of £513 per course, molnupiravir is unlikely to be cost-effective relative to usual care over a 6-month time horizon among mainly vaccinated patients with COVID-19 at increased risk of adverse outcomes, except those aged ≥75 years.

Cost-effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy for people living with motor neuron disease, and their health-related quality of life

BACKGROUND

Given the degenerative nature of the condition, people living with motor neuron disease (MND) experience high levels of psychological distress. The purpose of this research was to investigate the cost-effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), adapted for the specific needs of this population, for improving quality of life.

METHODS

A trial-based cost-utility analysis over a 9-month period was conducted comparing ACT plus usual care (n = 97) versus usual care alone (n = 94) from the perspective of the National Health Service. In the primary analysis, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were computed using health utilities generated from the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire. Sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses were also carried out.

RESULTS

Difference in costs was statistically significant between the two arms, driven mainly by the intervention costs. Effects measured by EQ-5D-5L were not statistically significantly different between the two arms. The incremental cost-effectiveness was above the £20,000 to £30,000 per QALY gained threshold used in the UK. However, the difference in effects was statistically significant when measured by the McGill Quality of Life-Revised (MQOL-R) questionnaire. The intervention was cost-effective in a subgroup experiencing medium deterioration in motor neuron symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the intervention being cost-ineffective in the primary analysis, the significant difference in the effects measured by MQOL-R, the low costs of the intervention, the results in the subgroup analysis, and the fact that ACT was shown to improve the quality of life for people living with MND, suggest that ACT could be incorporated into MND clinical services.

Exploring the relationship between condition severity and health-related quality of life in people with haemophilia A across Europe: a multivariable analysis of data from the CHESS II study

BACKGROUND

Haemophilia A (HA; Factor VIII deficiency) is a congenital X-linked bleeding disorder characterized by trauma-related or spontaneous bleeding events, most notably arising within the intraarticular space and resulting in chronic inflammation and degeneration of affected joints. Endogenous clotting factor activity relative to normal levels determines the severity of HA symptoms, as mild (> 5-40%), moderate (1-5%), or severe (< 1%). Within the current environment of rapid evolution in HA management, we seek to understand the interplay of condition severity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) to characterise and differentiate unmet needs among people with HA (PwHA).

METHODS

A generalised linear regression model (GLM) was developed to explore the relationship between HA severity and EQ-5D-5 L index score from adult HA patients sampled in the "Cost of Haemophilia across Europe - a Socioeconomic Survey II" (CHESS II) cross-sectional, retrospective burden of illness study among adults with hereditary haemophilia A or B from eight European countries. HA patients of any severity with no active inhibitors during the 12 months prior to data capture and a completeEQ-5D-5 L response were included. A base GLM model was specified with covariates for demographic and clinical characteristics (age, body mass index, country, employment, HA severity, annual bleeding rate, problem joints, and chronic pain).

RESULTS

Of 381 evaluable patients, 221 (58.0%) had severe HA, 96 (25.2%) had moderate HA, and 64 (16.8%) had mild HA. Among the covariates included in the GLM model and after controlling for haemophilia-related outcomes, a significant association was observed between mild HA and higher EQ-5D-5 L index score (average marginal effects, 0.084; p = 0.016) relative to severe HA. Patient country of residence and magnitude of HA-related chronic pain were also associated with significant differences in index scores, with the latter showing a negative relationship with HRQoL outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Condition severity and chronic pain are significant predictors of HRQoL in PwHA. Durable bleeding protection and effective management of chronic pain have the potential to address unmet treatment needs in this population.

The Relational Approach to Treating Self-Harm (RELATE): study protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial study of cognitive analytic therapy for adults who self-harm versus treatment at usual

BACKGROUND

Self-harm is a prevalent behaviour that has a major detrimental impact on a person's life. Psychological therapies have the potential to help, but evidence of effective interventions remains limited. Access and acceptability of interventions can also be a significant challenge, with individuals either being unable to access help or having to endure long waiting lists. Cognitive analytic therapy (CAT) is a time-limited and relationally-focused psychotherapy that may provide a valuable treatment option for people who self-harm. This protocol outlines the methodology for the first feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT) of CAT for adults that self-harm. The trial will aim to determine the feasibility, acceptability and safety of undertaking larger-scale evaluations of CAT for self-harm within an RCT context.

METHOD

An RCT design with 1:1 allocation to CAT plus treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU alone. Participants will be adult outpatients with three or more instances of self-harm in the past year (target sample of n = 60). CAT will be 8 one-to-one weekly 60-min sessions plus a follow-up session up to 8 weeks after the last session. Assessments will occur at baseline, 12 weeks and 18 weeks after randomisation. Qualitative interviews with participants will gain insights into the feasibility and acceptability of CAT. Feasibility outcomes will be judged against progression criteria.

DISCUSSION

CAT may be an effective and accessible treatment option for people who self-harm, providing a more relationally orientated alternative to more behavioural therapies. The proposed feasibility RCT is an important first step in evaluating CAT as a treatment for self-harm.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The trial was pre-registered (21/10/22) on ISR CTN (ISRCTN code: ISRCTN75661422).

Impact of colonoscopy on health-related quality of life: findings from the RECEDE study

BACKGROUND

Colonoscopy is a valuable diagnostic tool but the procedure and the preparation for it cause anxiety and discomfort that impacts on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The 'disutility' of undergoing an invasive colonoscopy needs to be considered and accounted for in comprehensive cost-utility analyses that compare different diagnostic strategies, yet there is little empirical evidence that can be used in such studies. To fill this gap, we collected and analysed data on the effect of a colonoscopy examination on patients' HRQoL that can be used in economic evaluations.

METHODS

Patients scheduled to undergo a colonoscopy at a large NHS hospital were asked to complete the EuroQol EQ-5D-5 L instrument: (i) before the procedure, at the time of consent (T1), (ii) while undergoing bowel preparation (T2) and (iii) within 24 h after the procedure (T3). Complete responses were translated into preference-based HRQoL (utility) values using a UK-specific value set and were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical analyses.

RESULTS

Two-hundred and seventy-one patients with gastrointestinal symptoms referred for a colonoscopy provided complete EQ-5D-5 L questionnaires at all three assessment points. At T1, the mean EQ-5D-5 L value was 0.76 (95%CI: 0.734-0.786). This value dropped to 0.727 at T2 (95%CI: 0.7-0.754, before increasing again to 0.794 (95%CI: 0.768-0.819) at T3. Both changes were statistically significant (p-value < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Preference-based HRQoL (utility) values reported by patients undergoing a colonoscopy dropped during bowel preparation and rose again shortly after the colonoscopy. This pattern was largely consistent across patients with different characteristics, symptoms and diagnoses.

Health-related quality of life and healthcare costs of symptoms and cardiovascular disease events in patients with atrial fibrillation: a longitudinal analysis of 27 countries from the EURObservational Research Programme on Atrial Fibrillation general long-term registry

AIMS

We examine the effects of symptoms and cardiovascular disease (CVD) events on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and healthcare costs in a European population with atrial fibrillation (AF).

METHODS AND RESULTS

In the EURObservational Research Programme on AF long-term general registry, AF patients from 250 centres in 27 European countries were enrolled and followed for 2 years. We used fixed effects models to estimate the association of symptoms and CVD events on HRQOL and annual healthcare costs. We found significant decrements in HRQOL in AF patients in whom ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) [-0.075 (95% confidence interval -0.144, -0.006)], angina or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) [-0.037 (-0.071, -0.003)], new-onset/worsening heart failure [-0.064 (-0.088, -0.039)], bleeding events [-0.031 (-0.059, -0.003)], thromboembolic events [-0.071 (-0.115, -0.027)], mild symptoms [0.037 (-0.048, -0.026)], or severe/disabling symptoms [-0.090 (-0.108, -0.072)] occurred during the follow-up. During follow-up, annual healthcare costs were associated with an increase of €11 718 (€8497, €14 939) in patients with STEMI, €5823 (€4757, €6889) in patients with angina/NSTEMI, €3689 (€3219, €4158) in patients with new-onset or worsening heart failure, €3792 (€3315, €4270) in patients with bleeding events, and €3182 (€2483, €3881) in patients with thromboembolic events, compared with AF patients without these events. Healthcare costs were primarily driven by inpatient costs. There were no significant differences in HRQOL or healthcare resource use between EU regions or by sex.

CONCLUSION

Symptoms and CVD events are associated with a high burden on AF patients and healthcare systems throughout Europe.

Impact of long COVID on health-related quality-of-life: an OpenSAFELY population cohort study using patient-reported outcome measures (OpenPROMPT)

Background

Long COVID is a major problem affecting patient health, the health service, and the workforce. To optimise the design of future interventions against COVID-19, and to better plan and allocate health resources, it is critical to quantify the health and economic burden of this novel condition. We aimed to evaluate and estimate the differences in health impacts of long COVID across sociodemographic categories and quantify this in Quality-Adjusted Life-Years (QALYs), widely used measures across health systems.

Methods

With the approval of NHS England, we utilised OpenPROMPT, a UK cohort study measuring the impact of long COVID on health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL). OpenPROMPT invited responses to Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) using a smartphone application and recruited between November 2022 and October 2023. We used the validated EuroQol EQ-5D questionnaire with the UK Value Set to develop disutility scores (1-utility) for respondents with and without Long COVID using linear mixed models, and we calculated subsequent Quality-Adjusted Life-Months (QALMs) for long COVID.

Findings

The total OpenPROMPT cohort consisted of 7575 individuals who consented to data collection, with which we used data from 6070 participants who completed a baseline research questionnaire where 24.6% self-reported long COVID. In multivariable regressions, long COVID had a consistent impact on HRQoL, showing a higher likelihood or odds of reporting loss in quality-of-life (Odds Ratio (OR): 4.7, 95% CI: 3.72-5.93) compared with people who did not report long COVID. Reporting a disability was the largest predictor of losses of HRQoL (OR: 17.7, 95% CI: 10.37-30.33) across survey responses. Self-reported long COVID was associated with an 0.37 QALM loss.

Interpretation

We found substantial impacts on quality-of-life due to long COVID, representing a major burden on patients and the health service. We highlight the need for continued support and research for long COVID, as HRQoL scores compared unfavourably to patients with conditions such as multiple sclerosis, heart failure, and renal disease.

Funding

This research was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) (OpenPROMPT: COV-LT2-0073).

Beta-blockers or Placebo for Primary Prophylaxis (BOPPP) of oesophageal varices: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Liver disease is within the top five causes of premature death in adults. Deaths caused by complications of cirrhosis continue to rise, whilst deaths related to other non-liver disease areas are declining. Portal hypertension is the primary sequelae of cirrhosis and is associated with the development of variceal haemorrhage, ascites, hepatic encephalopathy and infection, collectively termed hepatic decompensation, which leads to hospitalisation and mortality. It remains uncertain whether administering a non-selective beta-blocker (NSBB), specifically carvedilol, at an earlier stage, i.e. when oesophageal varices are small, can prevent VH and reduce all-cause decompensation (ACD).

METHODS/DESIGN

The BOPPP trial is a pragmatic, multicentre, placebo-controlled, triple-blinded, randomised controlled trial (RCT) in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Patients aged 18 years or older with cirrhosis and small oesophageal varices that have never bled will be recruited, subject to exclusion criteria. The trial aims to enrol 740 patients across 55 hospitals in the UK. Patients are allocated randomly on a 1:1 ratio to receive either carvedilol 6.25 mg (a NSBB) or a matched placebo, once or twice daily, for 36 months, to attain adequate power to determine the effectiveness of carvedilol in preventing or reducing ACD. The primary outcome is the time to first decompensating event. It is a composite primary outcome made up of variceal haemorrhage (VH, new or worsening ascites, new or worsening hepatic encephalopathy (HE), spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), hepatorenal syndrome, an increase in Child-Pugh grade by 1 grade or MELD score by 5 points, and liver-related mortality. Secondary outcomes include progression to medium or large oesophageal varices, development of gastric, duodenal, or ectopic varices, participant quality of life, healthcare costs and transplant-free survival.

DISCUSSION

The BOPPP trial aims to investigate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of carvedilol in patients with cirrhosis and small oesophageal varices to determine whether this non-selective beta-blocker can prevent or reduce hepatic decompensation. There is clinical equipoise on whether intervening in cirrhosis, at an earlier stage of portal hypertension, with NSBB therapy is beneficial. Should the trial yield a positive result, we anticipate that the administration and use of carvedilol will become widespread with pathways developed to standardise the administration of the medication in primary care.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The trial has been approved by the National Health Service (NHS) Research Ethics Committee (REC) (reference number: 19/YH/0015). The results of the trial will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Participants will be informed of the results via the BOPPP website ( www.boppp-trial.org ) and partners in the British Liver Trust (BLT) organisation.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

EUDRACT reference number: 2018-002509-78. ISRCTN reference number: ISRCTN10324656. Registered on April 24 2019.

Exploring the Comparability Between EQ-5D and the EQ Health and Wellbeing in the General Australian Population

OBJECTIVES

The EQ Health and Wellbeing (EQ-HWB) is a novel measure that conceptually overlaps with the 5-level EQ-5D (EQ-5D-5L) while capturing broader dimensions of health and well-being. This study aimed to explore the extent to which the EQ-HWB and EQ-5D-5L capture overlapping or complementary constructs and to explore the discriminative ability of the EQ-HWB Short version (EQ-HWB-S) as a multiattribute utility instrument in the Australian setting.

METHODS

A secondary analysis of data from a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of 2002 Australian adults was performed. The survey included socioeconomic questions and health characteristics and the EQ-HWB and EQ-5D-5L instruments. Convergent and known-group validity were evaluated through Spearman rank correlation and multivariable regression analyses, respectively. An exploratory factor analysis was also performed to explore the underlying constructs of the 2 measures.

RESULTS

Correlation coefficients varied from moderate to strong (rs ≥ 0.40) between the EQ-5D-5L and the corresponding EQ-HWB dimensions (all P < .001). Based on the exploratory factor analysis, both instruments measure similar underlying constructs, with the EQ-HWB capturing broader aspects of well-being. The known-group analysis demonstrated the relative discriminative ability of the EQ-HWB-S in capturing broader aspects of health and well-being.

CONCLUSIONS

The EQ-HWB was at least moderately correlated with the EQ-5D-5L in overlapping domains/dimensions and demonstrated greater sensitivity in participants with mental health problems versus the EQ-5D-5L. Our findings support future research exploring the value of the EQ-HWB-S as a multiattribute utility instrument for the general Australian population.

Advice only versus advice and a physiotherapy programme for acute traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation: the ARTISAN RCT

Background

The extra benefit of a programme of physiotherapy in addition to advice alone, following first-time traumatic shoulder dislocation, is uncertain. We compared the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a single session of advice with a single session of advice and a programme of physiotherapy.

Objective

The primary objective was to quantify and draw inferences about observed differences in the Oxford Shoulder Instability Score between the trial treatment groups 6 months post randomisation, in adults with a first-time traumatic shoulder dislocation.

Design

A pragmatic, multicentre, superiority, randomised controlled trial with embedded qualitative study.

Setting

Forty-one hospitals in the UK NHS.

Participants

Adults with a radiologically confirmed first-time traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation, being managed non-operatively. People with neurovascular complications or bilateral dislocations, and those unable to adhere to trial procedures or unable to attend physiotherapy within 6 weeks of injury, or who had previously been randomised, were excluded.

Interventions

All participants received the same initial shoulder examination followed by advice to aid self-management, lasting up to 1 hour and administered by a physiotherapist (control). Participants randomised to receive an additional programme of physiotherapy were offered sessions lasting for up to 30 minutes, over a maximum duration of 4 months from the date of randomisation (intervention).

Main outcome measures

The primary outcome measure was the Oxford Shoulder Instability Score. This is a self-completed outcome measure containing 12 questions (0-4 points each), with possible scores from 0 (worst function) to 48 (best function). Measurements were collected at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months by postal questionnaire; 6 months was the primary outcome time point. The primary health outcome for economic evaluation was the quality-adjusted life-year, in accordance with National Institute of Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

Results

Between 14 November 2018 and 14 March 2022, 482 participants were randomised to advice (n = 240) or advice and a programme of physiotherapy (n = 242). Participants were 34% female, with a mean age of 45 years, and treatment arms were balanced at baseline. There was not a statistically significant difference in the primary outcome between advice only and advice plus a programme of physiotherapy at 6 months for the primary intention-to-treat adjusted analysis (favours physiotherapy: 1.5, 95% confidence interval -0.3 to 3.5) or at earlier 3-month and 6-week time points on the Oxford Shoulder Instability Score (0-48; higher scores indicate better function). The probability of physiotherapy being cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of £30,000 was 0.95.

Conclusions

We found little difference in the primary outcome or other secondary outcomes. Advice with additional physiotherapy sessions was found likely to be cost-effective. However, small imprecise incremental costs and quality-adjusted life-years raise questions on whether it is the best use of scarce physiotherapy resources given current service demands.

Limitations

Loss to follow-up was 27%; however, the observed standard deviation was much smaller than anticipated. These changes in parameters reduced the number of participants required to observe the planned target difference of four points. Our post hoc sensitivity analysis, accounting for missing data, gives similar results.

Future work

Further research should be directed towards optimising self-management strategies.

Study registration

This study is registered as ISRCTN63184243.

Funding

This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme (NIHR award ref: 16/167/56) and is published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 28, No. 22. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Baseline Characteristics in the Remote Diet Intervention to REduce long-COVID Symptoms Trial (ReDIRECT)

Background

The persistence of symptoms for ≥12 weeks after a COVID-19 infection is known as Long COVID (LC), a condition with unclear pathophysiology and no proven treatments to date. Living with obesity is a risk factor for LC and has symptoms which may overlap with and aggravate LC.

Methods

ReDIRECT is a remotely delivered trial assessing whether weight management can reduce LC symptoms. We recruited people with LC and BMI >27kg/m 2. The intervention was delivered remotely by dietitians, with online data collection (medical and dietary history, COVID-19 infection and vaccination, body composition, LC history/symptoms, blood pressure, quality of life, sociodemographic data). Participants self-selected the dominant LC symptoms they most wanted to improve from the intervention.

Results

Participants (n=234) in England (64%) and Scotland (30%) were mainly women (85%) of white ethnicity (90%), with 13% living in the 20% most deprived areas, a mean age of 46 (SD10) years, and median BMI of 35kg/m 2 (IQR 32-40). Before starting the study, 30% reported more than one COVID-19 infection (82% confirmed with one or more positive tests). LC Diagnosis was mainly by GPs (71%), other healthcare professionals (9%), or self-diagnosed (21%). The median total number of symptoms was 6 (IQR 4-8). Self-selected dominant LC symptoms included fatigue (54%), breathlessness (16%), pain (12%), anxiety/depression (1%) and "other" (17%). At baseline, 82% were taking medication, 57% reported 1+ other medical conditions. Quality of life was poor; 20% were on long-term sick leave or reduced working hours. Most (92%) reported having gained weight since contracting COVID-19 (median weight change +11.5 kg, range -11.5 to +45.3 kg).

Conclusions

Symptoms linked to LC and overweight are diverse and complex. Remote trial delivery enabled rapid recruitment across the UK yet certain groups (e.g. men and those from ethnic minority groups) were under-represented.

Trial registration

ISRCTN registry ( ISRCTN12595520, 25/11/2021).

Laparoscopic or open abdominal surgery with thoracotomy for patients with oesophageal cancer: ROMIO randomized clinical trial

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated if hybrid oesophagectomy with minimally invasive gastric mobilization and thoracotomy enabled faster recovery than open surgery.

METHODS

In eight UK centres, this pragmatic RCT recruited patients for oesophagectomy to treat localized cancer. Participants were randomly allocated to hybrid or open surgery, stratified by centre and receipt of neoadjuvant treatment. Large dressings aimed to mask patients to their allocation for six days post-surgery. The authors present the intention-to-treat analysis of outcome measures from the first 3 months post-randomization, including the primary outcome, the patient-reported physical function scale of the EORTC QLQ-C30, and cost-effectiveness. Current Controlled Trials registration: ISRCTN 59036820 (feasibility study), 10386621 (definitive study).

FINDINGS

There was no evidence of a difference between hybrid (n = 267) and open (n = 266) surgery in average physical function over 3 months post-randomization: difference in means 2.1, 95% c.i. -2.0 to 6.2, P = 0.3. Complication rates were similar; for example, 88 (34%) participants in the open and 82 (32%) participants in the hybrid surgery groups experienced a pulmonary infection within 30 days. There was no evidence that hybrid surgery was more cost-effective than open surgery at 3 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Patient-reported physical function in the 3 months post-randomization provided no evidence of a difference in recovery time between hybrid and open surgery, or a difference in cost-effectiveness. Both approaches to surgery were completed safely, with a similar risk of key complications, suggesting that surgeons who have a preference for one of the two approaches need not change their practice.

Long-term cardiovascular risks and the impact of statin treatment on socioeconomic inequalities: a microsimulation model

BACKGROUND

UK cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence and mortality have declined in recent decades but socioeconomic inequalities persist.

AIM

To present a new CVD model, and project health outcomes and the impact of guideline-recommended statin treatment across quintiles of socioeconomic deprivation in the UK.

DESIGN AND SETTING

A lifetime microsimulation model was developed using 117 896 participants in 16 statin trials, 501 854 UK Biobank (UKB) participants, and quality-of-life data from national health surveys.

METHOD

A CVD microsimulation model was developed using risk equations for myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary revascularisation, cancer, and vascular and non-vascular death, estimated using trial data. The authors calibrated and further developed this model in the UKB cohort, including further characteristics and a diabetes risk equation, and validated the model in UKB and Whitehall II cohorts. The model was used to predict CVD incidence, life expectancy, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and the impact of UK guideline-recommended statin treatment across socioeconomic deprivation quintiles.

RESULTS

Age, sex, socioeconomic deprivation, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular events were key CVD risk determinants. Model-predicted event rates corresponded well to observed rates across participant categories. The model projected strong gradients in remaining life expectancy, with 4-5-year (5-8 QALYs) gaps between the least and most socioeconomically deprived quintiles. Guideline-recommended statin treatment was projected to increase QALYs, with larger gains in quintiles of higher deprivation.

CONCLUSION

The study demonstrated the potential of guideline-recommended statin treatment to reduce socioeconomic inequalities. This CVD model is a novel resource for individualised long-term projections of health outcomes of CVD treatments.

Measuring EQ-5D-5L utility values in parents who have experienced perinatal death

BACKGROUND

Policymakers use clinical and cost-effectiveness evidence to support decisions about health service commissioning. In England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommend that in cost-effectiveness analyses "effectiveness" is measured as quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), derived from health utility values. The impact of perinatal death (stillbirth/neonatal death) on parents' health utility is currently unknown. This knowledge would improve the robustness of cost-effectiveness evidence for policymakers.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to estimate the impact of perinatal death on parents' health utility.

METHODS

An online survey conducted with mothers and fathers in England who experienced a perinatal death. Participants reported how long ago their baby died and whether they/their partner subsequently became pregnant again. They were asked to rate their health on the EQ-5D-5L instrument (generic health measure). EQ-5D-5L responses were used to calculate health utility values. These were compared with age-matched values for the general population to estimate a utility shortfall (i.e. health loss) associated with perinatal death.

RESULTS

There were 256 survey respondents with a median age of 40 years (IQR 26-40). Median time since death was 27 months (IQR 8-71). The mean utility value of the sample was 0.774 (95% CI 0.752-0.796). Utility values in the sample were 13% lower than general population values (p < 0.05). Over 10 years, this equated to a loss of 1.1 QALYs. This reduction in health utility was driven by anxiety and depression.

CONCLUSIONS

Perinatal death has important and long-lasting health impacts on parents. Mental health support following perinatal bereavement is especially important.

The association between health-related quality of life and problem gambling severity: a cross-sectional analysis of the Health Survey for England

BACKGROUND

Problem gambling can lead to health-related harms, such as poor mental health and suicide. In the UK there is interest in introducing guidance around effective and cost-effective interventions to prevent harm from gambling. There are no estimates of the health state utilities associated with problem gambling severity from the general population in the UK. These are required to determine the cost-effectiveness of interventions. This study aims to use an indirect elicitation method to estimate health state utilities, using the EQ-5D, for various levels of problem gambling and gambling-related harm.

METHODS

We used the Health Survey for England to estimate EQ-5D-derived health state utilities associated with the different categories of the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), PGSI score and a 7-item PGSI-derived harms variable. Propensity score matching was used to create a matched dataset with respect to risk factors for problem gambling and regression models were used to estimate the EQ-5D-derived utility score and the EQ-5D domain score whilst controlling for key comorbidities. Further exploratory analysis was performed to look at the relationship between problem gambling and the individual domains of the EQ-5D.

RESULTS

We did not find any significant attributable decrements to health state utility for any of the PGSI variables (categories, score and 7-item PGSI derived harms variable) when key comorbidities were controlled for. However, we did find a significant association between the 7-item PGSI derived harms variable and having a higher score (worse health) in the anxiety/depression domain of the EQ-5D, when comorbidities were controlled for.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found no significant association between problem gambling severity and HRQoL measured by the EQ-5D when controlling for comorbidities. There might be several reasons for this including that this might reflect the true relationship between problem gambling and HRQoL, the sample size in this study was insufficient to detect a significant association, the PGSI is insufficient for measuring gambling harm, or the EQ-5D is not sensitive enough to detect the changes in HRQoL caused by gambling. Further research into each of these possibilities is needed to understand more about the relationship between problem gambling severity and HRQoL.

Potentially modifiable factors associated with health-related quality of life among people with chronic kidney disease: baseline findings from the National Unified Renal Translational Research Enterprise CKD (NURTuRE-CKD) cohort

Background

Many non-modifiable factors are associated with poorer health-related quality of life (HRQoL) experienced by people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We hypothesize that potentially modifiable factors for poor HRQoL can be identified among CKD patients, providing potential targets for intervention.

Method

The National Unified Renal Translational Research Enterprise Chronic Kidney Disease (NURTuRE-CKD) cohort study recruited 2996 participants from nephrology centres with all stages of non-dialysis-dependent CKD. Baseline data collection for sociodemographic, anthropometric, biochemical and clinical information, including Integrated Palliative care Outcome Scale renal, Hospital Anxiety and Depression score (HADS) and the 5-level EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D-5L) as HRQoL measure, took place between 2017 and 2019. EQ-5D-5L dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression) were mapped to an EQ-5D-3L value set to derive index value. Multivariable mixed effects regression models, adjusted for known factors affecting HRQoL with recruitment region as a random effect, were fit to assess potentially modifiable factors associated with index value (linear) and within each dimension (logistic).

Results

Among the 2958/2996 (98.7%) participants with complete EQ-5D data, 2201 (74.4%) reported problems in at least one EQ-5D-5L dimension. Multivariable linear regression identified independent associations between poorer HRQoL (EQ-5D-3L index value) and obesity (body mass index ≥30.0 kg/m2, β -0.037, 95% CI -0.058 to -0.016, P = .001), HADS depression score ≥8 (β -0.159, -0.182 to -0.137, P < .001), anxiety score ≥8 (β -0.090, -0.110 to -0.069, P < .001), taking ≥10 medications (β -0.065, -0.085 to -0.046, P < .001), sarcopenia (β -0.062, -0.080 to -0.043, P < .001) haemoglobin <100 g/L (β -0.047, -0.085 to -0.010, P = .012) and pain (β -0.134, -0.152 to -0.117, P < .001). Smoking and prescription of prednisolone independently associated with problems in self-care and usual activities respectively. Renin-angiotensin system inhibitor (RASi) prescription associated with fewer problems with mobility and usual activities.

Conclusion

Potentially modifiable factors including obesity, pain, depression, anxiety, anaemia, polypharmacy, smoking, steroid use and sarcopenia associated with poorer HRQoL in this cohort, whilst RASi use was associated with better HRQoL in two dimensions.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of online recorded recovery narratives in improving quality of life for people with non-psychotic mental health problems: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial

Narratives describing first-hand experiences of recovery from mental health problems are widely available. Emerging evidence suggests that engaging with mental health recovery narratives can benefit people experiencing mental health problems, but no randomized controlled trial has been conducted as yet. We developed the Narrative Experiences Online (NEON) Intervention, a web application providing self-guided and recommender systems access to a collection of recorded mental health recovery narratives (n=659). We investigated whether NEON Intervention access benefited adults experiencing non-psychotic mental health problems by conducting a pragmatic parallel-group randomized trial, with usual care as control condition. The primary endpoint was quality of life at week 52 assessed by the Manchester Short Assessment (MANSA). Secondary outcomes were psychological distress, hope, self-efficacy, and meaning in life at week 52. Between March 9, 2020 and March 26, 2021, we recruited 1,023 participants from across England (the target based on power analysis was 994), of whom 827 (80.8%) identified as White British, 811 (79.3%) were female, 586 (57.3%) were employed, and 272 (26.6%) were unemployed. Their mean age was 38.4±13.6 years. Mood and/or anxiety disorders (N=626, 61.2%) and stress-related disorders (N=152, 14.9%) were the most common mental health problems. At week 52, our intention-to-treat analysis found a significant baseline-adjusted difference of 0.13 (95% CI: 0.01-0.26, p=0.041) in the MANSA score between the intervention and control groups, corresponding to a mean change of 1.56 scale points per participant, which indicates that the intervention increased quality of life. We also detected a significant baseline-adjusted difference of 0.22 (95% CI: 0.05-0.40, p=0.014) between the groups in the score on the "presence of meaning" subscale of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, corresponding to a mean change of 1.1 scale points per participant. We found an incremental gain of 0.0142 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) (95% credible interval: 0.0059 to 0.0226) and a £178 incremental increase in cost (95% credible interval: -£154 to £455) per participant, generating an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £12,526 per QALY compared with usual care. This was lower than the £20,000 per QALY threshold used by the National Health Service in England, indicating that the intervention would be a cost-effective use of health service resources. In the subgroup analysis including participants who had used specialist mental health services at baseline, the intervention both reduced cost (-£98, 95% credible interval: -£606 to £309) and improved QALYs (0.0165, 95% credible interval: 0.0057 to 0.0273) per participant as compared to usual care. We conclude that the NEON Intervention is an effective and cost-effective new intervention for people experiencing non-psychotic mental health problems.

The financial impact on people with coeliac disease of withdrawing gluten-free food from prescriptions in England: findings from a cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND

A lifelong gluten-free diet is the only treatment for coeliac disease. The cost and availability of gluten-free substitute food (GFSF) remain challenging. Some local areas in England have stopped gluten-free prescriptions for coeliac disease. The aim of this paper is to present the quantitative findings of the financial impact of prescription withdrawal on people with coeliac disease.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey with adults in England who reported having been diagnosed with coeliac disease by a health professional. The postal survey was distributed by Coeliac UK to their members in 13 prescribing and 13 non-prescribing local areas that were matched for geographical location and level of deprivation. Additionally, an advertisement for the survey was placed on social media. The questionnaire contained items on the availability and use of prescriptions; the weekly amount spent on GFSF; amount of specific GFSF bought; affordability of GFSF; demographics and health-related variables. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics, analysis of variance and regression analysis.

RESULTS

Of the 1697 participants, 809 resided in areas that provided prescriptions and 888 in non-prescribing areas. Participants self-report of their prescription did not always match the local area prescription policy. There was no statistically significant difference between prescribing and non-prescribing areas in how easy or difficult participants found it to obtain GFSF (p = 0.644) and its availability in various locations. Participants in non-prescribing areas purchased most types of GFSF items in statistically significantly higher quantities and thereby spent an additional £11.32/month on GFSF items than participants in prescribing areas (p < 0.001). While taking into account the self-reported prescription status, the amount increased to £14.09/month (p < 0.001). Although affordability to buy GFSF did not differ based on local area prescription policy or self-reported prescription status, it was dependent on equivalised annual income. However, affordability did not influence spending on GFSF. Regression analysis indicated that males and households with additional members with coeliac disease spent more on GFSF.

CONCLUSIONS

The study has highlighted that gluten-free prescription withdrawal can have financial implications for people with coeliac disease. Any future changes to the prescription policy of GFSF should consider the impact on the population, especially lower income households.

Pragmatic, feasibility randomized controlled trial of a recorded mental health recovery narrative intervention: narrative experiences online intervention for informal carers (NEON-C)

Introduction

Informal carers of people with mental health problems often have unmet support needs. Mental health recovery narratives are increasingly accessible, but their relevance to and effect on informal carers have been minimally investigated. The Narrative Experiences Online (NEON) Intervention is a first-in-field intervention that provides informal carers with access to a diverse collection of recorded mental health recovery narratives. This trial aimed to examine the feasibility and acceptability of the NEON Intervention for informal carers.

Methods

This study involved a two-arm feasibility randomized controlled trial. Carers were randomly assigned to receiving versus not receiving the NEON Intervention. The feasibility aspects investigated included the acceptability of the intervention and of randomization, trial processes, engagement rates, recruitment procedures, attrition, sample size estimation, identification of candidate primary and secondary outcomes, and the feasibility of conducting a definitive trial. A qualitative process evaluation was conducted.

Findings

A total of 121 carers were eligible, of whom 54 were randomized (intervention: 27, control: 27). Twelve-month follow-up data were available for 36 carers. Carers accessed a mean of 25 narratives over a 12-month period, and the intervention group, compared with the control group, reported a small effect on hope and a moderate effect on the presence of meaning in life. Five modifications were recommended to improve the user experience, applicability, and trial processes.

Discussion

The NEON Intervention is feasible and acceptable. Significant refinement of the NEON Intervention and trial processes is required to personalize and ensure applicability to carers. Further feasibility testing is recommended prior to a definitive trial.

Percutaneous Revascularization for Ischemic Left Ventricular Dysfunction: Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of the REVIVED-BCIS2 Trial

BACKGROUND

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is frequently undertaken in patients with ischemic left ventricular systolic dysfunction. The REVIVED (Revascularization for Ischemic Ventricular Dysfunction)-BCIS2 (British Cardiovascular Society-2) trial concluded that PCI did not reduce the incidence of all-cause death or heart failure hospitalization; however, patients assigned to PCI reported better initial health-related quality of life than those assigned to optimal medical therapy (OMT) alone. The aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of PCI+OMT compared with OMT alone.

METHODS

REVIVED-BCIS2 was a prospective, multicenter UK trial, which randomized patients with severe ischemic left ventricular systolic dysfunction to either PCI+OMT or OMT alone. Health care resource use (including planned and unplanned revascularizations, medication, device implantation, and heart failure hospitalizations) and health outcomes data (EuroQol 5-dimension 5-level questionnaire) on each patient were collected at baseline and up to 8 years post-randomization. Resource use was costed using publicly available national unit costs. Within the trial, mean total costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated from the perspective of the UK health system. Cost-effectiveness was evaluated using estimated mean costs and QALYs in both groups. Regression analysis was used to adjust for clinically relevant predictors.

RESULTS

Between 2013 and 2020, 700 patients were recruited (mean age: PCI+OMT=70 years, OMT=68 years; male (%): PCI+OMT=87, OMT=88); median follow-up was 3.4 years. Over all follow-ups, patients undergoing PCI yielded similar health benefits at higher costs compared with OMT alone (PCI+OMT: 4.14 QALYs, £22 352; OMT alone: 4.16 QALYs, £15 569; difference: -0.015, £6782). For both groups, most health resource consumption occurred in the first 2 years post-randomization. Probabilistic results showed that the probability of PCI being cost-effective was 0.

CONCLUSIONS

A minimal difference in total QALYs was identified between arms, and PCI+OMT was not cost-effective compared with OMT, given its additional cost. A strategy of routine PCI to treat ischemic left ventricular systolic dysfunction does not seem to be a justifiable use of health care resources in the United Kingdom.

REGISTRATION

URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT01920048.

Evaluating the effect of a digital health intervention to enhance physical activity in people with chronic kidney disease (Kidney BEAM): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial in the UK

BACKGROUND

Remote digital health interventions to enhance physical activity provide a potential solution to improve the sedentary behaviour, physical inactivity, and poor health-related quality of life that are typical of chronic conditions, particularly for people with chronic kidney disease. However, there is a need for high-quality evidence to support implementation in clinical practice. The Kidney BEAM trial evaluated the clinical effect of a 12-week physical activity digital health intervention on health-related quality of life.

METHODS

In a single-blind, randomised controlled trial conducted at 11 centres in the UK, adult participants (aged ≥18 years) with chronic kidney disease were recruited and randomly assigned (1:1) to the Kidney BEAM physical activity digital health intervention or a waiting list control group. Randomisation was performed with a web-based system, in randomly permuted blocks of six. Outcome assessors were masked to treatment allocation. The primary outcome was the difference in the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form version 1.3 Mental Component Summary (KDQoL-SF1.3 MCS) between baseline and 12 weeks. The trial was powered to detect a clinically meaningful difference of 3 arbitrary units (AU) in KDQoL-SF1.3 MCS. Outcomes were analysed by an intention-to-treat approach using an analysis of covariance model, with baseline measures and age as covariates. The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04872933.

FINDINGS

Between May 6, 2021, and Oct 30, 2022, 1102 individuals were assessed for eligibility, of whom 340 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to the Kidney BEAM intervention group (n=173) or the waiting list control group (n=167). 268 participants completed the trial (112 in the Kidney BEAM group and 156 in the waiting list control group). All 340 randomly assigned participants were included in the intention-to treat population. At 12 weeks, there was a significant improvement in KDQoL-SF.13 MCS score in the Kidney BEAM group (from mean 44·6 AU [SD 10·8] at baseline to 47·0 AU [10·6] at 12 weeks) compared with the waiting list control group (from 46·1 AU [10·5] to 45·0 AU [10·1]; between-group difference of 3·1 AU [95% CI 1·8-4·4]; p<0·0001).

INTERPRETATION

The Kidney BEAM physical activity platform is an efficacious digital health intervention to improve mental health-related quality of life in patients with chronic kidney disease. These findings could facilitate the incorporation of remote digital health interventions into clinical practice and offer a potential intervention worthy of investigation in other chronic conditions.

FUNDING

Kidney Research UK.

Clinical and cost-effectiveness of an adapted intervention for preschoolers with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities displaying behaviours that challenge: the EPICC-ID RCT

Background

Stepping Stones Triple P is an adapted intervention for parents of young children with developmental disabilities who display behaviours that challenge, aiming at teaching positive parenting techniques and promoting a positive parent-child relationship.

Objective

To evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of level 4 Stepping Stones Triple P in reducing behaviours that challenge in children with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities.

Design, setting, participants

A parallel two-arm pragmatic multisite single-blind randomised controlled trial recruited a total of 261 dyads (parent and child). The children were aged 30-59 months and had moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. Participants were randomised, using a 3 : 2 allocation ratio, into the intervention arm (Stepping Stones Triple P; n = 155) or treatment as usual arm (n = 106). Participants were recruited from four study sites in Blackpool, North and South London and Newcastle.

Intervention

Level 4 Stepping Stones Triple P consists of six group sessions and three individual phone or face-to-face contacts over 9 weeks. These were changed to remote sessions after 16 March 2020 due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Main outcome measure

The primary outcome measure was the parent-reported Child Behaviour Checklist, which assesses the severity of behaviours that challenge.

Results

We found a small non-significant difference in the mean Child Behaviour Checklist scores (-4.23, 95% CI -9.98 to 1.52, p = 0.146) in the intervention arm compared to treatment as usual at 12 months. Per protocol and complier average causal effect sensitivity analyses, which took into consideration the number of sessions attended, showed the Child Behaviour Checklist mean score difference at 12 months was lower in the intervention arm by -10.77 (95% CI -19.12 to -2.42, p = 0.014) and -11.53 (95% CI -26.97 to 3.91, p = 0.143), respectively. The Child Behaviour Checklist mean score difference between participants who were recruited before and after the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic was estimated as -7.12 (95% CI -13.44 to -0.81) and 7.61 (95% CI -5.43 to 20.64), respectively (p = 0.046), suggesting that any effect pre-pandemic may have reversed during the pandemic. There were no differences in all secondary measures. Stepping Stones Triple P is probably value for money to deliver (-£1057.88; 95% CI -£3218.6 to -£46.67), but decisions to roll this out as an alternative to existing parenting interventions or treatment as usual may be dependent on policymaker willingness to invest in early interventions to reduce behaviours that challenge. Parents reported the intervention boosted their confidence and skills, and the group format enabled them to learn from others and benefit from peer support. There were 20 serious adverse events reported during the study, but none were associated with the intervention.

Limitations

There were low attendance rates in the Stepping Stones Triple P arm, as well as the coronavirus disease 2019-related challenges with recruitment and delivery of the intervention.

Conclusions

Level 4 Stepping Stones Triple P did not reduce early onset behaviours that challenge in very young children with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. However, there was an effect on child behaviours for those who received a sufficient dose of the intervention. There is a high probability of Stepping Stones Triple P being at least cost neutral and therefore worth considering as an early therapeutic option given the long-term consequences of behaviours that challenge on people and their social networks.

Future work

Further research should investigate the implementation of parenting groups for behaviours that challenge in this population, as well as the optimal mode of delivery to maximise engagement and subsequent outcomes.

Study registration

This study is registered as NCT03086876 (https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03086876?term=Hassiotis±Angela&draw=1&rank=1).

Funding

This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme (NIHR award ref: HTA 15/162/02) and is published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 28, No. 6. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Superiority and cost-effectiveness of monthly extended-release buprenorphine versus daily standard of care medication: a pragmatic, parallel-group, open-label, multicentre, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial

Background

Daily methadone maintenance or buprenorphine treatment is the standard-of-care (SoC) medication for opioid use disorder (OUD). Subcutaneously injected, extended-release buprenorphine (BUP-XR) may be more effective-but there has been no superiority evaluation.

Methods

This pragmatic, parallel-group, open-label, multi-centre, effectiveness superiority randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial was conducted at five National Health Service community-based treatment clinics in England and Scotland. Participants (adults aged ≥ 18 years; all meeting DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for moderate or severe OUD at admission to their current maintenance treatment episode) were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive continued daily SoC (liquid methadone (usual dose range: 60-120 mg) or sublingual/transmucosal buprenorphine (usual dose range: 8-24 mg) for 24 weeks; or monthly BUP-XR (Sublocade;® two injections of 300 mg, then four maintenance injections of 100 mg or 300 mg, with maintenance dose selected by response and preference) for 24 weeks. In the intent-to-treat population (senior statistician blinded to blinded to treatment group allocation), and with a seven-day grace period after randomisation, the primary endpoint was the count of days abstinent from non-medical opioids between days 8-168 (i.e., weeks 2-24; range: 0-161 days). Safety was reported for the intention-to- treat population. Adopting a broad societal perspective inclusive of criminal justice, NHS and personal social service costs, a trial-based cost-utility analysis estimated the Incremental Cost-effectiveness Ratio (ICER) per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) of BUP-XR versus SoC at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence threshold. The study was registered EudraCT (2018-004460-63) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05164549), and is completed.

Findings

Between Aug 9, 2019 and Nov 2, 2021, 314 participants were randomly allocated to receive SoC (n = 156) or BUP-XR (n = 158). Participants were abstinent from opioids for an adjusted mean of 104.37 days (standard error [SE] 9.89; range: 0-161 days) in the SoC group and an adjusted mean of 123.43 days (SE 4.76; range: 24-161 days) in the BUP-XR group (adjusted incident rate ratio [IRR] 1.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05-1.33; p-value 0.004). The incidence of any adverse event was higher in the BUP-XR group than the SoC group (128 [81.0%] of 158 participants versus 67 [42.9%] of 156 participants, respectively-most commonly rapidly-resolving (mild-moderate range) pain from drug administration in the BUP-XR group (121 [26.9%] of 450 adverse events). There were 11 serious adverse events (7.0%) in the 158 participants in the BUP-XR group, and 18 serious adverse events (11.5%) in the 156 participants in the SoC group-none judged to be related to study treatment. The BUP-XR treatment group had a mean incremental cost of £1033 (95% central range [CR] -1189 to 3225) and was associated with a mean incremental QALY of 0.02 (95% CR 0.00-0.05), and an ICER of £47,540 (0.37 probability of being cost-effective at the £30,000/QALY gained willingness-to-pay threshold). However, BUP-XR dominated the SoC among participants who were rated more severe at study baseline, and among participants in maintenance treatment for more that 28 days at study enrolment.

Interpretation

Evaluated against the daily oral SoC, monthly BUP-XR is clinically superior, delivering greater abstinence from opioids, and with a comparable safety profile. BUP-XR was not cost-effective in a base case cost-utility analysis using the societal perspective, but it was more effective and less costly (dominant) among participants with more severe OUD, or those whose current treatment episode was longer than 28 days. Further trials are needed to evaluate if BUP-XR is associated with better clinical and health economic outcomes over the longer term.

Funding

Indivior.

Physician- and Patient-Reported Severity and Quality of Life Impact of Alopecia Areata: Results from a Real-World Survey in Five European Countries

INTRODUCTION

Alopecia areata (AA) can negatively affect quality of life (QoL) and is associated with increased prevalence of anxiety and depression (vs people without AA). This study compared physician-assessed and patient self-rated severity of AA in a European sample and described the patient-reported burden of AA stratified by physician-assessed severity.

METHODS

Real-world data were collected from the Adelphi Real World AA Disease Specific Programme™, a retrospective point-in-time cross-sectional survey of dermatologists and their adult patients with AA in five European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK). Physicians provided clinical data and an AA severity assessment, according to their own definition of 'mild', 'moderate' and 'severe'. Patients were invited to provide their perception of AA severity and completed patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires, including Skindex-16 for AA (Skindex-16 AA), EuroQol-5-dimension questionnaire 5-level (EQ-5D-5L), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Data for 2083 patients were collected by 239 physicians; 561 of these patients completed PRO questionnaires. In 78.5% of cases with available data (N = 549), there was alignment between patient and physician-rated AA severity (severity was rated higher by physicians in 15.7% of cases, by patients in 5.8% of cases). Data from all PRO instruments showed an increase in patient-reported burden and work and activity impairment with increasing physician-rated AA severity. For the Skindex-16 AA, the Emotions scale had the worst scores; anxiety/depression was the EQ-5D-5L dimension with the highest percentages of patients reporting any perceived problem.

CONCLUSIONS

These data highlight the significant impact that AA can have beyond hair loss, especially for patients with severe AA. There was substantial physician-patient alignment on severity assessment. Higher physician-rated AA severity was associated with higher levels of patient-reported disease burden, including anxiety and depression, and work and activity impairment. These data may help inform appropriate treatment strategies.

UK Valuation of EQ-5D-5L, a Generic Measure of Health-Related Quality of Life: A Study Protocol

OBJECTIVES

A high-quality and widely accepted UK EQ-5D-5L value set is urgently required to enable the latest version of EQ-5D scored using recent UK public preferences to inform policy including health technology assessments submitted to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. This article outlines the study protocol for the generation of a new EQ-5D-5L UK value set.

METHODS

Twelve hundred interviews will be undertaken using the composite time trade-off elicitation technique for 102 health states (86 from the international EQ-5D-5L valuation protocol, plus 16 with best predictive performance in an extended design used in the Native American EQ-5D-5L valuation). The sample will be UK adults (age ≥18 years) proportionately representative across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, representative for age, sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic group, with inclusion of participants with/without health problems. Participants will choose to be interviewed via videoconference (by Zoom) or in-person in a central venue. Data quality will be rigorously assessed.

RESULTS

The value set will be generated using tobit random effects and heteroscedastic tobit models (with censoring at -1) using all data, excluding time trade-off values highlighted by participants as ones they would reconsider and data from interviewers failing protocol compliance. Quality and acceptance will be achieved by public involvement, regular Steering Group meetings, independent assessment of data quality at 4 time points, and final endorsement of data and analyses.

CONCLUSION

This study will produce a UK value set for the EQ-5D-5L for use in prospective and retrospective data sets containing EQ-5D-5L data.

Impact of New Cardiovascular Events on Quality of Life and Hospital Costs in People With Cardiovascular Disease in the United Kingdom and United States

BACKGROUND

Despite optimized risk factor control, people with prior cardiovascular disease remain at high cardiovascular disease risk. We assess the immediate- and longer-term impacts of new vascular and nonvascular events on quality of life (QoL) and hospital costs among participants in the REVEAL (Randomized Evaluation of the Effects of Anacetrapib Through Lipid Modification) trial in secondary prevention.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Data on demographic and clinical characteristics, health-related quality of life (QoL: EuroQoL 5-Dimension-5-Level), adverse events, and hospital admissions during the 4-year follow-up of the 21 820 participants recruited in Europe and North America informed assessments of the impacts of new adverse events on QoL and hospital costs from the UK and US health systems' perspectives using generalized linear regression models. Reductions in QoL were estimated in the years of event occurrence for nonhemorrhagic stroke (-0.067 [United Kingdom], -0.069 [US]), heart failure admission (-0.072 [United Kingdom], -0.103 [US]), incident cancer (-0.064 [United Kingdom], -0.068 [US]), and noncoronary revascularization (-0.071 [United Kingdom], -0.061 [US]), as well as in subsequent years following these events. Myocardial infarction and coronary revascularization (CRV) procedures were not found to affect QoL. All adverse events were associated with additional hospital costs in the years of events and in subsequent years, with the highest additional costs in the years of noncoronary revascularization (£5830 [United Kingdom], $14 133 [US Medicare]), of myocardial infarction with urgent CRV procedure (£5614, $24722), and of urgent/nonurgent CRV procedure without myocardial infarction (£4674/£4651 and $15 251/$17 539).

CONCLUSIONS

Stroke, heart failure, and noncoronary revascularization procedures substantially reduce QoL, and all cardiovascular disease events increase hospital costs. These estimates are useful in informing cost-effectiveness of interventions to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in secondary prevention.

REGISTRATION

URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT01252953; https://www.Isrctn.com. Unique identifier: ISRCTN48678192; https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu. Unique identifier: 2010-023467-18.

Catalogues of EQ-5D-3L Health-Related Quality of Life Scores for 199 Chronic Conditions and Health Risks for Use in the UK and the USA

BACKGROUND

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures are essential in economic evaluation, but sometimes primary sources are unavailable, and information from secondary sources is required. Existing HRQoL UK/US catalogues are based on earlier diagnosis classification systems, amongst other issues. A recently published Danish catalogue merged EQ-5D-3L data from national health surveys with national registers containing patient information on ICD-10 diagnoses, healthcare activities and socio-demographics.

AIMS

To provide (1) UK/US EQ-5D-3L-based HRQoL utility population catalogues for 199 chronic conditions on the basis of ICD-10 codes and health risks and (2) regression models controlling for age, sex, comorbidities and health risks to enable predictions in other populations.

METHODS

UK and US EQ-5D-3L value sets were applied to the EQ-5D-3L responses of the Danish dataset and modelled using adjusted limited dependent variable mixture models (ALDVMMs).

RESULTS

Unadjusted mean utilities, percentiles and adjusted disutilities based on two ALDVMMs with different control variables were provided for both countries. Diseases from groups M, G, and F consistently had the smallest utilities and the largest negative disutilities: fibromyalgia (M797), sclerosis (G35), rheumatism (M790), dorsalgia (M54), cerebral palsy (G80-G83), post-traumatic stress disorder (F431), dementia (F00-2), and depression (F32, etc.). Risk factors, including stress, loneliness, and BMI30+, were also associated with lower HRQoL.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides comprehensive catalogues of UK/US EQ-5D-3L HRQoL utilities. Results are relevant in cost-effectiveness analysis, for NICE submissions, and for comparing and identifying facets of disease burden.

Estimating health related quality of life effects in vitiligo. Mapping EQ-5D-5 L utilities from vitiligo specific scales: VNS, VitiQoL and re-pigmentation measures using data from the HI-Light trial

BACKGROUND

Vitiligo is reported to affect 2% of the world's population and has a significant impact on health related quality of life (HRQoL). The relationship between HRQoL and clinical outcomes used in vitiligo require further examination. Mapping condition specific measures of HRQoL: vitiligo specific quality of life instrument (VitiQoL), vitiligo noticeability scale (VNS) and vitiligo re-pigmentation scores (RPS) to the EQ-5D have not yet been reported.

METHODS

Data collected from a randomised clinical trial (HI-Light) in vitiligo was used to develop mapping algorithms for the EQ-5D-5 L and the relationship between HRQoL, clinical outcomes and EQ-5D were investigated. Two EQ-5D-5 L value sets (Van Hout and Alava) using linear and non-linear models were considered. Logistic regression models were used to model the probability of vitiligo noticeability (VNS) in terms of RPS, EQ-5D and VitiQoL scores.

RESULTS

Mapping from RPS appeared to perform better followed by VNS for the Alava crosswalks using polynomial models: Mean observed vs. predicted utilities of 0.9008 (0.005) vs. 0.8984 (0.0004) were observed for RPS. For VNS, mean observed vs. predicted utilities of 0.9008 (0.005) vs. 0.8939 (0.0003) were observed. For VitiQoL, mean observed vs. predicted utilities of 0.9008 (0.005) vs. 0.8912 (0.0002) were observed. For patients with the least re-pigmentation (RPS < 25%), a Total VitiQoL score of about 20 points gives around an 18% chance of vitiligo being no longer or a lot less noticeable.

CONCLUSION

The algorithm based on RPS followed by VNS performed best. The relationship between effects from vitiligo specific HRQoL instruments and clinical RPS was established allowing for plausible clinically relevant differences to be identified, although further work is required in this area.

Cost-Effectiveness of Robot-Assisted Radical Cystectomy vs Open Radical Cystectomy for Patients With Bladder Cancer

Importance

The value to payers of robot-assisted radical cystectomy with intracorporeal urinary diversion (iRARC) when compared with open radical cystectomy (ORC) for patients with bladder cancer is unclear.

Objectives

To compare the cost-effectiveness of iRARC with that of ORC.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This economic evaluation used individual patient data from a randomized clinical trial at 9 surgical centers in the United Kingdom. Patients with nonmetastatic bladder cancer were recruited from March 20, 2017, to January 29, 2020. The analysis used a health service perspective and a 90-day time horizon, with supplementary analyses exploring patient benefits up to 1 year. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were undertaken. Data were analyzed from January 13, 2022, to March 10, 2023.

Interventions

Patients were randomized to receive either iRARC (n = 169) or ORC (n = 169).

Main Outcomes and Measures

Costs of surgery were calculated using surgery timings and equipment costs, with other hospital data based on counts of activity. Quality-adjusted life-years were calculated from European Quality of Life 5-Dimension 5-Level instrument responses. Prespecified subgroup analyses were undertaken based on patient characteristics and type of diversion.

Results

A total of 305 patients with available outcome data were included in the analysis, with a mean (SD) age of 68.3 (8.1) years, and of whom 241 (79.0%) were men. Robot-assisted radical cystectomy was associated with statistically significant reductions in admissions to intensive therapy (6.35% [95% CI, 0.42%-12.28%]), and readmissions to hospital (14.56% [95% CI, 5.00%-24.11%]), but increases in theater time (31.35 [95% CI, 13.67-49.02] minutes). The additional cost of iRARC per patient was £1124 (95% CI, -£576 to £2824 [US $1622 (95% CI, -$831 to $4075)]) with an associated gain in quality-adjusted life-years of 0.01124 (95% CI, 0.00391-0.01857). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was £100 008 (US $144 312) per quality-adjusted life-year gained. Robot-assisted radical cystectomy had a much higher probability of being cost-effective for subgroups defined by age, tumor stage, and performance status.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this economic evaluation of surgery for patients with bladder cancer, iRARC reduced short-term morbidity and some associated costs. While the resulting cost-effectiveness ratio was in excess of thresholds used by many publicly funded health systems, patient subgroups were identified for which iRARC had a high probability of being cost-effective.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03049410.

Decomposition of Quality-Adjusted Life Expectancy Inequalities by Mortality and Health-Related Quality of Life Dimensions

BACKGROUND

Quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE) combines mortality risk and multidimensional health-related quality of life (HRQoL) information to measure healthy life expectancy in terms of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). This paper estimates the relative importance of individual quality of life dimensions in explaining inequalities in QALE.

METHODS

We combined EQ-5D-5L data from the Health Survey for England for 2017 and 2018 (N = 14,412) with full population mortality data from the Office for National Statistics to calculate QALE by age, sex and deprivation quintile. The effect of HRQoL dimensions on the socioeconomic gradient in QALE was decomposed using an iterative imputation approach, in which inequalities associated with socioeconomic status in each domain were removed by imputing the response distribution of the richest quintile for all participants. Sampling uncertainty in the HRQoL data was evaluated using bootstrapping.

RESULTS

People in the least deprived fifth of neighbourhoods in England can expect to live 7.0 years longer and experience 11.1 more QALYs than those in the most deprived fifth. Inequalities in HRQoL accounted for 28.0% and 45.7% of QALE inequalities for males and females, respectively. Pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression and mobility were the most influential HRQoL domains.

DISCUSSION

Our results identify the extent of inequalities associated with socioeconomic status in lifetime health and the relative importance of inequalities by mortality and HRQoL. The contributions of the individual dimensions of HRQoL towards lifetime inequalities vary substantially by sex. Our findings can help to identify the types of interventions most likely to alleviate health inequalities, which may be different for males and females.

Cost-Effectiveness of Empagliflozin on Top of Standard of Care for Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction in Singapore

OBJECTIVES

The prevalence of heart failure (HF) and its risk factors are high in Singapore. The EMPEROR-Reduced trial demonstrated that add-on empagliflozin resulted in a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for HF compared with standard of care (SoC). This study aimed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of empagliflozin+SoC versus SoC in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction from a Singaporean healthcare perspective.

METHODS

A Markov cohort model simulated progression through health states based on New York Heart Association classes over a lifetime horizon using a cycle length of 1 month. Transition probabilities, and the risk of transient events (hospitalization for HF and cardiovascular/all-cause death) were modeled based on the EMPEROR-Reduced trial. Costs for HF-related events, adverse events, and for monitoring were estimated from a combination of published literature and publicly available fees for public hospitals/polyclinics.

RESULTS

Empagliflozin+SoC was estimated to be very cost-effective versus SoC alone with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of<8000 Singapore Dollars/quality-adjusted life-year gained. The base-case results were robust as evidenced from the consistency of various scenario and sensitivity analyses performed. When using Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire - Clinical Summary Score quartiles as the health states, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio reduced significantly to 4625 Singapore Dollars/quality-adjusted life-year.

CONCLUSION

The use of empagliflozin on top of SoC represents a highly cost-effective solution for the treatment of patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction in Singapore when considering its efficacy, relative affordability, and the growing economic burden of HF in Singapore.

Protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial to evaluate integrated support from pharmacist independent prescriber and third sector worker for people experiencing homelessness: the PHOENIx community pharmacy study

BACKGROUND

People experiencing homelessness (PEH) have complex health and social care needs and most die in their early 40 s. PEH frequently use community pharmacies; however, evaluation of the delivery of structured, integrated, holistic health and social care intervention has not been previously undertaken in community pharmacies for PEH. PHOENIx (Pharmacy Homeless Outreach Engagement Non-medical Independent prescribing Rx) has been delivered and tested in Glasgow, Scotland, by NHS pharmacist independent prescribers and third sector homelessness support workers offering health and social care intervention in low threshold homeless drop-in venues, emergency accommodation and emergency departments, to PEH. Building on this work, this study aims to test recruitment, retention, intervention adherence and fidelity of community pharmacy-based PHOENIx intervention.

METHODS

Randomised, multi-centre, open, parallel-group external pilot trial. A total of 100 PEH aged 18 years and over will be recruited from community pharmacies in Glasgow and Birmingham. PHOENIx intervention includes structured assessment in the community pharmacy of health, housing, benefits and activities, in addition to usual care, through weekly visits lasting up to six months. A primary outcome is whether to proceed to a definitive trial based on pre-specified progression criteria. Secondary outcomes include drug/alcohol treatment uptake and treatment retention; overdose rates; mortality and time to death; prison/criminal justice encounters; healthcare utilisation; housing tenure; patient-reported measures and intervention acceptability. Analysis will include descriptive statistics of recruitment and retention rates. Process evaluation will be conducted using Normalisation Process Theory. Health, social care and personal resource use data will be identified, measured and valued.

DISCUSSION

If the findings of this pilot study suggest progression to a definitive trial, and if the definitive trial offers positive outcomes, it is intended that PHOENIx will be a publicly funded free-to-access service in community pharmacy for PEH. The study results will be shared with wider stakeholders and patients in addition to dissemination through medical journals and scientific conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

International Clinical Trial Registration ISRCTN88146807. Approved protocol version 2.0 dated July 19, 2022.