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Zrelak PA, Utter GH, McDonald KM, Houchens RL, Davies SM, Skinner HG, Owens PL, Romano PS. Incorporating Harms into the Weighting of the Revised AHRQ Patient Safety for Selected Indicators Composite (PSI 90). Health Serv Res 2021; 57:654-667. [PMID: 34859429 DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.13918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To reweight the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Patient Safety for Selected Indicators Composite [Patient Safety Indicator (PSI) 90] from weights based solely on the frequency of component PSIs to those that incorporate excess harm reflecting patients' preferences for outcome-related health states. DATA SOURCES National administrative and claims data involving hospitalizations in non-federal, non-rehabilitation, acute care hospitals. STUDY DESIGN We estimated the average excess aggregate harm associated with the occurrence of each component PSI using a cohort sample for each indicator based on denominator-eligible records. We used propensity scores to account for potential confounding in the risk models for each PSI and weighted observations to estimate the "average treatment effect in the treated" for those with the PSI event. We fit separate regression models for each harm outcome. Final PSI weights reflected both the disutilities and the frequencies of the harms. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS We estimated PSI frequencies from the 2012 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases with present on admission data and excess harms using 2012-2013 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Medicare Fee-for-Service data. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Including harms in the weighting scheme changed individual component weights from the original frequency-based weighting. In the reweighted composite, PSIs 11 ("Postoperative Respiratory Failure"), 13 ("Postoperative Sepsis"), and 12 ("Perioperative Pulmonary Embolism or Deep Vein Thrombosis") contributed the greatest harm, with weights of 29.7%, 21.1%, and 20.4%, respectively. Regarding reliability, the overall average hospital signal-to-noise ratio for the reweighted PSI 90 was 0.7015. Regarding discrimination, among hospitals with greater than median volume, 34% had significantly better PSI 90 performance and 41% had significantly worse performance than benchmark rates (based on percentiles). CONCLUSIONS Reformulation of PSI 90 with harm-based weights is feasible and results in satisfactory reliability and discrimination, with a more clinically meaningful distribution of component weights.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Garth H Utter
- University of California, Davis, Medical Center, 2335 Stockton Blvd., North Addition Office Building, Room 5027, Sacramento, California, United States
| | - Kathryn M McDonald
- Johns Hopkins University Schools of Nursing and Medicine, 525 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | | | | | | | - Pamela L Owens
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 07W42, Mail Stop Number 7W25B, Rockville, Maryland, United States
| | - Patrick S Romano
- University of California, Davis, Medical Center, 4150 V Street, PSSB Suite 2400, Sacramento, California, United States
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Castillo-Riquelme M, Bardach A, Palacios A, Pichón-Riviere A. Health burden and economic costs of smoking in Chile: The potential impact of increasing cigarettes prices. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237967. [PMID: 32857819 PMCID: PMC7454964 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Globally, tobacco consumption continues to cause a huge burden of preventable diseases. Chile has been leading the tobacco burden ranking in the Latin American region for the last ten years; it has currently a 33. 3% prevalence of current smokers. Methods A microsimulation economic model was developed within the framework of a multi-country project in order to estimate the burden attributable to smoking in terms of morbidity, mortality, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and direct costs of care. We also modelled the impact of increasing cigarettes’ taxes on this burden. Results In Chile, 16,472 deaths were attributable to smoking in 2017, which represent around 16% of all deaths. This burden corresponds to 416,445 DALYs per year. The country’s health system spends 1.15 trillion pesos annually (in Dec 2017 CLP, approx. U$D 1.8 billion) in health care treatment of illnesses caused by smoking. If the price of tobacco cigarettes was to be raised by 50%, around 13,665 deaths and 360,476 DALYs from smoking-attributable diseases would be averted in 10 years, with subsequent savings on health care costs, and increased tax revenue collection. In Chile, the tobacco tax collection does not fully cover the direct healthcare costs attributed to smoking. Conclusion Despite a reduction observed on smoking prevalence between 2010 (40.6%) and 2017 (33.3%), this study shows that the burden of disease, and the economic toll due to smoking, remain high. As we demonstrate, a rise in the price of cigarettes could lead to a significant reduction of this burden, averting deaths and disability, and reducing healthcare spending.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ariel Bardach
- Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy (IECS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alfredo Palacios
- Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy (IECS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Andrés Pichón-Riviere
- Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy (IECS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Shiri T, Khan K, Keaney K, Mukherjee G, McCarthy ND, Petrou S. Pneumococcal Disease: A Systematic Review of Health Utilities, Resource Use, Costs, and Economic Evaluations of Interventions. VALUE IN HEALTH : THE JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PHARMACOECONOMICS AND OUTCOMES RESEARCH 2019; 22:1329-1344. [PMID: 31708071 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2019.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pneumococcal diseases cause substantial mortality, morbidity, and economic burden. Evidence on data inputs for economic evaluations of interventions targeting pneumococcal disease is critical. OBJECTIVES To summarize evidence on resource use, costs, health utilities, and cost-effectiveness for pneumococcal disease and associated interventions to inform future economic analyses. METHODS We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EconLit, and Cochrane databases for peer-reviewed studies in English on pneumococcal disease that reported health utilities using direct or indirect valuation methods, resource use, costs, or cost-effectiveness of intervention programs, and summarized the evidence descriptively. RESULTS We included 383 studies: 9 reporting health utilities, 131 resource use, 160 economic costs of pneumococcal disease, 95 both resource use and costs, and 178 economic evaluations of pneumococcal intervention programs. Health state utility values ranged from 0 to 1 for both meningitis and otitis media and from 0.3 to 0.7 for both pneumonia and sepsis. Hospitalization was shortest for otitis media (range: 0.1-5 days) and longest for sepsis/septicemia (6-48). The main categories of costs reported were drugs, hospitalization, and household or employer costs. Resource use was reported in hospital length of stay and number of contacts with general practitioners. Costs and resource use significantly varied among population ages, disease conditions, and settings. Current vaccination programs for both adults and children, antibiotic use and outreach programs to promote vaccination, early disease detection, and educational programs are cost-effective in most countries. CONCLUSION This study has generated a comprehensive repository of health economic evidence on pneumococcal disease that can be used to inform future economic evaluations of pneumococcal disease intervention programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tinevimbo Shiri
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, England, UK; Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, England, UK.
| | - Kamran Khan
- Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, England, UK
| | - Katherine Keaney
- Population Evidence and Technologies, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, England, UK
| | - Geetanjali Mukherjee
- Population Evidence and Technologies, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, England, UK
| | - Noel D McCarthy
- Population Evidence and Technologies, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, England, UK
| | - Stavros Petrou
- Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, England, UK; Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
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Leidner AJ, Murthy N, Chesson HW, Biggerstaff M, Stoecker C, Harris AM, Acosta A, Dooling K, Bridges CB. Cost-effectiveness of adult vaccinations: A systematic review. Vaccine 2018; 37:226-234. [PMID: 30527660 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.11.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coverage levels for many recommended adult vaccinations are low. The cost-effectiveness research literature on adult vaccinations has not been synthesized in recent years, which may contribute to low awareness of the value of adult vaccinations and to their under-utilization. We assessed research literature since 1980 to summarize economic evidence for adult vaccinations included on the adult immunization schedule. METHODS We searched PubMed, EMBASE, EconLit, and Cochrane Library from 1980 to 2016 and identified economic evaluation or cost-effectiveness analysis for vaccinations targeting persons aged ≥18 years in the U.S. or Canada. After excluding records based on title and abstract reviews, the remaining publications had a full-text review from two independent reviewers, who extracted economic values that compared vaccination to "no vaccination" scenarios. RESULTS The systematic searches yielded 1688 publications. After removing duplicates, off-topic publications, and publications without a "no vaccination" comparison, 78 publications were included in the final analysis (influenza = 25, pneumococcal = 18, human papillomavirus = 9, herpes zoster = 7, tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis = 9, hepatitis B = 9, and multiple vaccines = 1). Among outcomes assessing age-based vaccinations, the percent indicating cost-savings was 56% for influenza, 31% for pneumococcal, and 23% for tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis vaccinations. Among age-based vaccination outcomes reporting $/QALY, the percent of outcomes indicating a cost per QALY of ≤$100,000 was 100% for influenza, 100% for pneumococcal, 69% for human papillomavirus, 71% for herpes zoster, and 50% for tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis vaccinations. CONCLUSIONS The majority of published studies report favorable cost-effectiveness profiles for adult vaccinations, which supports efforts to improve the implementation of adult vaccination recommendations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Neil Murthy
- National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDC, USA; Epidemic Intelligence Service, CDC, USA
| | - Harrell W Chesson
- National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC, USA
| | | | - Charles Stoecker
- School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, USA
| | - Aaron M Harris
- National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC, USA
| | - Anna Acosta
- National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDC, USA
| | - Kathleen Dooling
- National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDC, USA
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Reducing hypersensitivity reactions with HLA-B*5701 genotyping before abacavir prescription: clinically useful but is it cost-effective in Singapore? Pharmacogenet Genomics 2015; 25:60-72. [PMID: 25461248 DOI: 10.1097/fpc.0000000000000107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
AIM Abacavir (ABC) is one of the more affordable antiretroviral drugs used for controlling HIV. Although with similar efficacy to current first-line drugs, its limited usage in Singapore can be attributed to its possible side effect of adverse hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs). HLA-B*5701 genotyping is a clinically relevant procedure for avoiding abacavir-induced HSRs. As patients who do not carry the risk allele are unlikely to develop HSRs, a simple rule can be developed to allow abacavir prescription for patients who are B*5701 negative. Here, we carry out a cost-effectiveness analysis of HLA-B*5701 genotyping before abacavir prescription in the context of the Singapore healthcare system, which caters predominantly to Han Chinese, Southeast-asian Malays, and South-asian Indians. In addition, we aim to identify the most cost-effective treatment regimen for HIV patients. METHODS A decision tree model was developed in TreeAge. The model considers medical treatment and genotyping costs, genotyping test characteristics, the prevalence of the risk allele, reduction in the quality of life, and increased expenditure due to side effects and other factors, evaluating independently over early-stage and late-stage HIV patients segmented by drug contraindications. RESULTS The study indicates that genotyping is not cost-effective for any ethnicity irrespective of the disease stage, except for Indian patients with early-stage HIV who are contraindicated to tenofovir. CONCLUSION Abacavir (as first-line) without genotyping is the cheapest and most cost-effective treatment for all ethnicities except for early-stage Indian HIV patients contraindicated to tenofovir. The HLA-B*5701 frequency, the mortality rate from abacavir-induced HSRs, and genotyping costs are among the major factors influencing the cost-effectiveness.
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HIV cure strategies: how good must they be to improve on current antiretroviral therapy? PLoS One 2014; 9:e113031. [PMID: 25397616 PMCID: PMC4232561 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2014] [Accepted: 10/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background We examined efficacy, toxicity, relapse, cost, and quality-of-life thresholds of hypothetical HIV cure interventions that would make them cost-effective compared to life-long antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methods We used a computer simulation model to assess three HIV cure strategies: Gene Therapy, Chemotherapy, and Stem Cell Transplantation (SCT), each compared to ART. Efficacy and cost parameters were varied widely in sensitivity analysis. Outcomes included quality-adjusted life expectancy, lifetime cost, and cost-effectiveness in dollars/quality-adjusted life year ($/QALY) gained. Strategies were deemed cost-effective with incremental cost-effectiveness ratios <$100,000/QALY. Results For patients on ART, discounted quality-adjusted life expectancy was 16.4 years and lifetime costs were $591,400. Gene Therapy was cost-effective with efficacy of 10%, relapse rate 0.5%/month, and cost $54,000. Chemotherapy was cost-effective with efficacy of 88%, relapse rate 0.5%/month, and cost $12,400/month for 24 months. At $150,000/procedure, SCT was cost-effective with efficacy of 79% and relapse rate 0.5%/month. Moderate efficacy increases and cost reductions made Gene Therapy cost-saving, but substantial efficacy/cost changes were needed to make Chemotherapy or SCT cost-saving. Conclusions Depending on efficacy, relapse rate, and cost, cure strategies could be cost-effective compared to current ART and potentially cost-saving. These results may help provide performance targets for developing cure strategies for HIV.
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Tuite AR, Burchell AN, Fisman DN. Cost-effectiveness of enhanced syphilis screening among HIV-positive men who have sex with men: a microsimulation model. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101240. [PMID: 24983455 PMCID: PMC4077736 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Syphilis co-infection risk has increased substantially among HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM). Frequent screening for syphilis and treatment of men who test positive might be a practical means of controlling the risk of infection and disease sequelae in this population. PURPOSE We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of strategies that increased the frequency and population coverage of syphilis screening in HIV-infected MSM receiving HIV care, relative to current standard of care. METHODS We developed a state-transition microsimulation model of syphilis natural history and medical care in HIV-infected MSM receiving care for HIV. We performed Monte Carlo simulations using input data derived from a large observational cohort in Ontario, Canada, and from published biomedical literature. Simulations compared usual care (57% of the population screened annually) to different combinations of more frequent (3- or 6-monthly) screening and higher coverage (100% screened). We estimated expected disease-specific outcomes, quality-adjusted survival, costs, and cost-effectiveness associated with each strategy from the perspective of a public health care payer. RESULTS Usual care was more costly and less effective than strategies with more frequent or higher coverage screening. Higher coverage strategies (with screening frequency of 3 or 6 months) were expected to be cost-effective based on usually cited willingness-to-pay thresholds. These findings were robust in the face of probabilistic sensitivity analyses, alternate cost-effectiveness thresholds, and alternate assumptions about duration of risk, program characteristics, and management of underlying HIV. CONCLUSIONS We project that higher coverage and more frequent syphilis screening of HIV-infected MSM would be a highly cost-effective health intervention, with many potentially viable screening strategies projected to both save costs and improve health when compared to usual care. The baseline requirement for regular blood testing in this group (i.e., for viral load monitoring) makes intensification of syphilis screening appear readily practicable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashleigh R. Tuite
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Ann N. Burchell
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Ontario HIV Treatment Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - David N. Fisman
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Plans-Rubió P. Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine: cost–effectiveness recommendations in adults. Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res 2014; 5:541-51. [DOI: 10.1586/14737167.5.5.541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Ward MJ, Bonomo JB, Adeoye O, Raja AS, Pines JM. Cost-effectiveness of diagnostic strategies for evaluation of suspected subarachnoid hemorrhage in the emergency department. Acad Emerg Med 2012; 19:1134-44. [PMID: 23067018 DOI: 10.1111/j.1553-2712.2012.01455.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Diagnosing subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in emergency department (ED) patients is challenging. Potential diagnostic strategies include computed tomography (CT) only, CT followed by lumbar puncture (CT/LP), CT followed by magnetic resonance imaging and angiography (CT/MRA), and CT followed by CT angiography (CT/CTA). The objective was to determine the relative cost-effectiveness of diagnostic strategies for SAH. METHODS The authors created a decision model to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of SAH diagnostic strategies in ED patients with suspected SAH. Clinical probabilities were obtained from published data; sensitivity analyses were conducted across plausible ranges. RESULTS In the base-case scenario, CT-only had a cost of $10,339 and effectiveness of 20.25 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and CT/LP had a cost of $15,120 and effectiveness of 20.366 QALYs. Among the alternative strategies, CT/CTA had a cost of $12,840 and effectiveness of 20.24 QALYs, and CT/MRA had a cost of $16,207 and effectiveness of 20.27 QALYs. In sensitivity analyses, probability of severe disability from SAH, sensitivity of noncontrast CT, and specificity of LP and MRA were key drivers of the model, and CT-only and CT/LP were preferable. CONCLUSIONS In the base-case scenario, CT-only was preferable to the CT/CTA and CT/MRA strategies. When considering sensitivity analyses and the current medicolegal environment, there are no overwhelming differences between the cost-effectiveness of CT/LP and the alternative strategies to suggest that clinicians should abandon the standard CT/LP approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Ward
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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Public health and economic impact of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in US adults aged ≥50 years. Vaccine 2012; 30:5437-44. [PMID: 22728289 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2012.05.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2011] [Revised: 05/25/2012] [Accepted: 05/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) was recently developed for use in older adults, and may be effective not only against invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) but also nonbacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia. The potential public health and economic impact of PCV13 in this population is unknown. METHODS A microsimulation model depicting risk and costs of IPD and all-cause nonbacteremic pneumonia (NBP) in US adults aged ≥50 years (n=96.1 million), as well as expected impact of vaccination, was developed. Effectiveness of PPSV23 was based on published literature, and for all-cause NBP, was zero; effectiveness of PCV13 was based on PCV7 data in children, and for all-cause NBP, was varied across a reasonable range. Lifetime outcomes and costs were projected assuming: (1) use of PCV13 in all subjects at model entry, with and without periodic revaccination; and (2) use of PPSV23 per current ACIP recommendations. RESULTS Use of PCV13 in all subjects at model entry without revaccination - in lieu of PPSV23 use per recommendations - reduced cases of IPD by 15,000 (95% CI 9000-21,000); cases of NBP by 1.2 million (0.9-1.5); total healthcare costs by $3.5 billion (1.9-5.2); and total societal costs by $7.4 billion (5.3-9.8). Use of PCV13 with revaccination every 5-10 years resulted in fewest cases of disease and lowest total costs. Findings were largely unchanged in sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS Assuming that the effectiveness of PCV13 in adults is comparable to that observed for PCV7 in children and under reasonable assumptions regarding the underlying risks and costs of IPD and NBP, model projections suggest that routine use of PCV13 - in lieu of PPSV23 - would result in a greater reduction in the overall burden of pneumococcal disease in older US adults.
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Ward MJ, Sodickson A, Diercks DB, Raja AS. Cost-effectiveness of lower extremity compression ultrasound in emergency department patients with a high risk of hemodynamically stable pulmonary embolism. Acad Emerg Med 2011; 18:22-31. [PMID: 21414059 DOI: 10.1111/j.1553-2712.2010.00957.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Computed tomography angiograms (CTAs) for patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) are being ordered with increasing frequency from the emergency department (ED). Strategies are needed to safely decrease the utilization of CTs to control rising health care costs and minimize the associated risks of anaphylaxis, contrast-induced nephropathy, and radiation-induced carcinogenesis. The use of compression ultrasonography (US) to identify deep vein thromboses (DVTs) in hemodynamically stable patients with signs and symptoms suggestive of PE is highly specific for the diagnosis of PE and may represent a cost-effective alternative to CT imaging. OBJECTIVES The objective was to analyze the cost-effectiveness of a selective CT strategy incorporating the use of compression US to diagnose and treat DVT in patients with a high pretest probability of PE. METHODS The authors constructed a decision analytic model to evaluate the scenario of an otherwise healthy 59-year-old female in whom PE was being considered as a diagnosis. Two strategies were used. The selective CT strategy began with a screening compression US. Negative studies were followed up with a CTA, while patients with positive studies identifying a DVT were treated as though they had a PE and were anticoagulated. The universal CT strategy used CTA as the initial test, and anticoagulation was based on the CT result. Costs were estimated from the 2009 Medicare data for hospital reimbursement, and professional fees were obtained from the 2009 National Physician Fee Schedule. Clinical probabilities were obtained from existing published data, and sensitivity analyses were performed across plausible ranges for all clinical variables. RESULTS In the base case, the selective CT strategy cost $1,457.70 less than the universal CT strategy and resulted in a gain of 0.0213 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Sensitivity analyses confirm that the selective CT strategy is dominant above both a pretest probability for PE of 8.3% and a compression US specificity of 87.4%. CONCLUSIONS A selective CT strategy using compression US is cost-effective for patients provided they have a high pretest probability of PE. This may reduce the need for, and decrease the adverse events associated with, CTAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Ward
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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Weycker D, Strutton D, Edelsberg J, Sato R, Jackson LA. Clinical and economic burden of pneumococcal disease in older US adults. Vaccine 2010; 28:4955-60. [PMID: 20576535 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2009] [Revised: 03/07/2010] [Accepted: 05/13/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
We developed a model characterizing rates and costs of pneumococcal disease in the US to estimate the expected annual clinical and economic burden of this condition among older adults. Among the 91.5 million US adults aged >or=50 years, 29,500 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease, 502,600 cases of nonbacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia, and 25,400 pneumococcal-related deaths are estimated to occur yearly; annual direct and indirect costs are estimated to total $3.7 billion and $1.8 billion, respectively. Pneumococcal disease remains a substantial burden among older US adults, despite increased coverage with PPV23 and indirect benefits afforded by PCV7 vaccination of young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek Weycker
- Policy Analysis Inc. (PAI), Brookline, MA 02445, United States.
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Neumann PJ, Jacobson PD, Palmer JA. Measuring the value of public health systems: the disconnect between health economists and public health practitioners. Am J Public Health 2008; 98:2173-80. [PMID: 18923123 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2007.127134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
We investigated ways of defining and measuring the value of services provided by governmental public health systems. Our data sources included literature syntheses and qualitative interviews of public health professionals. Our examination of the health economic literature revealed growing attempts to measure value of public health services explicitly, but few studies have addressed systems or infrastructure. Interview responses demonstrated no consensus on metrics and no connection to the academic literature. Key challenges for practitioners include developing rigorous, data-driven methods and skilled staff; being politically willing to base allocation decisions on economic evaluation; and developing metrics to capture "intangibles" (e.g., social justice and reassurance value). Academic researchers evaluating the economics of public health investments should increase focus on the working needs of public health professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Neumann
- Center for the Evaluation of Value and Risk in Health, Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
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The cost-effectiveness of HLA-B*5701 genetic screening to guide initial antiretroviral therapy for HIV. AIDS 2008; 22:2025-33. [PMID: 18784465 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0b013e3283103ce6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical impact and cost-effectiveness of HLA-B*5701 testing to guide selection of first-line HIV regimens in the United States. DESIGN Cost-effectiveness analysis using a simulation model of HIV disease. The prevalence of HLA-B*5701 and the probabilities of confirmed and unconfirmed severe systemic hypersensitivity reaction among patients taking abacavir testing HLA-B*5701 positive and negative were from the Prospective Randomized Evaluation of DNA Screening in a Clinical Trial study. The monthly costs of abacavir-based and tenofovir-based regimens were $1135 and $1139, respectively; similar virologic efficacy was assumed and this assumption was varied in sensitivity analysis. PATIENTS Simulated cohort of patients initiating HIV therapy. INTERVENTIONS The interventions are first-line abacavir, lamivudine, and efavirenz without pretreatment HLA-B*5701 testing; the same regimen with HLA-B*5701 testing; and first-line tenofovir, emtricitabine, and efavirenz. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Quality-adjusted life years and lifetime medical costs discounted at 3% per annum, cost-effectiveness ratios ($/QALY). RESULTS Abacavir-based treatment without HLA-B*5701 testing resulted in a projected 30.93 years life expectancy, 16.23 discounted quality-adjusted life years, and $472,200 discounted lifetime cost per person. HLA-B*5701 testing added 0.04 quality-adjusted months at an incremental cost of $110, resulting in a cost-effectiveness ratio of $36,700/QALY compared with no testing. Initiating treatment with a tenofovir-based regimen increased costs without improving quality-adjusted life expectancy. HLA-B*5701 testing remained the preferred strategy only if abacavir-based treatment had equal efficacy and cost less per month than tenofovir-based treatment. Results were also sensitive to the cost of HLA-B*5701 testing and the prevalence of HLA-B*5701. CONCLUSION Pharmacogenetic testing for HLA-B*5701 is cost-effective only if abacavir-based treatment is as effective and costs less than tenofovir-based treatment.
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Blay A, Bessler H, Lahad A, Waitman DA, Djaldetti M. Does pneumococcal vaccine reduce influenza morbidity in humans? Vaccine 2006; 25:1071-5. [PMID: 17052814 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2006.09.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2006] [Revised: 09/13/2006] [Accepted: 09/20/2006] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A retrospective study was conducted to verify the possibility that people immunized with pneumococcal vaccine (PV) show lower morbidity not only for pneumonia but also for influenza. A total of 450 individuals were enrolled between 1999 and 2003 and allocated to one of the following groups: (A) not vaccinated; (B) immunized with PV during 1999; (C) immunized with anti-influenza vaccine (Flu-V) each year; and (D) immunized with PV once in 1999 and Flu-V every consecutive year. People from group B showed significantly lower percentage of influenza-related diseases during the year 2000 in comparison with those from group A (p<0.01), whereas in the course of 2001 the morbidity of patients from group B was lower compared with the other groups (p<0.01). The results point to a way to decrease the morbidity of influenza-related diseases by immunization with PV only, at least for 2-3 years, avoiding Flu-V administration and permitting considerable saving for health care providers. Therefore, it is concluded that PV can reduce the morbidity of influenza at a greater rate than the Flu-V.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Blay
- Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Netania, Israel
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Thiry N, Beutels P, Van Damme P. Economic evaluations of pneumococcal vaccination strategies in adults. A summary of the results. Acta Clin Belg 2005; 60:338-44. [PMID: 16502594 DOI: 10.1179/acb.2005.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
With the view to re-evaluate the current evidence about the efficiency of adult pneumococcal vaccination, we searched the Medline database to collect recent full economic evaluations on this topic. We included a literature review based on studies published up to June 2001 and 5 other studies published between July 2001 and April 2004. Based on these articles' results, pneumococcal vaccination of the elderly aged between 65 and 75 years is found to be relatively cost-effective for the health care payer. There is also evidence that vaccination of HIV+ patients and of young military personnel may be justifiable on the basis of economic evaluation including direct medical costs only. Conclusions about universal vaccination of younger adults (< 65 years) and of high-risk groups could not be drawn because of controversial results. An accurate assessment of the efficiency of adult pneumococcal vaccination is however hard to achieve given the difficulties in collecting valid input data (e.g. for the incidence and mortality of the disease) and given the remaining uncertainties about the vaccine efficacy for non-invasive disease. Finally, by lack of data, none of the studies estimated the impact of vaccination on antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Thiry
- Centre for the Evaluation of Vaccination, Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium.
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Cazzola M, Salzillo A, De Giglio C, Piccolo A, Califano C, Noschese P. Treatment of acute exacerbation of severe-to-very severe COPD with azithromycin in patients vaccinated against Streptococcus pneumoniae. Respir Med 2005; 99:663-9. [PMID: 15878482 DOI: 10.1016/j.rmed.2004.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2004] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Sixty-five consecutive eligible adult patients, who were treated as outpatients for stable severe-to-very severe COPD, were enrolled in the study. All of them received 23-valent pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccine intramuscularly. Patients were seen monthly, as well as whenever they had symptoms suggestive of an exacerbation, at our outpatient clinic. Eighteen out of 65 patients suffered from acute exacerbation (AECOPD). Three of these patients presented two episodes of AECOPD. Patients with an acute exacerbation of COPD received azithromycin 500 mg/day once daily for 3 days and a short course of oral prednisolone 25 mg/die. In 16 cases, a single species was isolated, while in the remaining 5 cases at least two species were recovered. Clinical cure or improvement at the end of therapy (3-5 days post-therapy) was reported in 17 episodes of AECOPD with no relapse at the late post-therapy (10-14 days after the completion of treatment). Bacteriologic eradication or presumptive eradication rates at the end of therapy were 86% (24 out of 28 isolates). Azithromycin eradicated all isolates of Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, H. parainfluenzae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Klebsiella spp. isolated at baseline. Eradication of Sta aureus occurred in 1 of 3 isolates whereas azithromycin was unable to eradicate Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates. Our data seem to indicate that pneumococcal vaccination reduces the possibility that an AECOPD is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. This finding allows the use of antibiotics such as azithromycin, which, otherwise, should be avoided because of resistances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Cazzola
- Department of Pneumology, Unit of Pneumology and Allergology, A. Cardarelli Hospital, Naples, Italy.
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Melegaro A, Edmunds WJ. The 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. Part II. A cost-effectiveness analysis for invasive disease in the elderly in England and Wales. Eur J Epidemiol 2004; 19:365-75. [PMID: 15180107 DOI: 10.1023/b:ejep.0000024752.48929.bd] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) has been available for a number of years and is recommended for high-risk categories. Relatively immunocompetent elderly people are not included in this group, although their probability of getting invasive pneumococcal infection is high. The objective of this study was to assess whether vaccinating all elderly people over 65 years of age was a cost-effective policy for England and Wales. The analysis was performed comparing the cost and health effects produced by vaccination, to what would have been occurred if vaccination were not introduced. A decision analysis model was used in order to predict health outcomes under different vaccination scenarios. Unit costs were applied to the outcome and the cost per life-year gained was calculated. Sensitivity analysis was performed to allow for uncertain parameters to vary. The current UK recommendation does not appear to be the most cost-effective strategy due to the low level of efficacy of the vaccine in high-risk groups (HRG) and their shorter life expectancy. Routine vaccination of all elderly appears to be more cost-effective. These results are, nevertheless, very much dependent on the uncertainties around vaccine efficacy estimates, which appear to be still present, especially in HRG, and on the number of hospitalisations and deaths attributable to invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Melegaro
- Modelling and Economics Unit, Health Protection Agency, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, London NW9 5EQ, UK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas K Owens
- VA Health Care System (111A), 3801 Miranda Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
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