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Zrubka Z, Péntek M, Mhanna L, Abu-Zahra T, Mahdi-Abid M, Fgaier M, El-Dahiyat F, Al-Abdulkarim H, Drummond M, Gulácsi L. Disease-Related Costs Published in The Middle East and North Africa Region: Systematic Review and Analysis of Transferability. PHARMACOECONOMICS 2022; 40:587-599. [PMID: 35578009 PMCID: PMC9130178 DOI: 10.1007/s40273-022-01146-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) the scarcity of local cost data is a key barrier to conducting health economic evaluations. We systematically reviewed reports of disease-related costs from MENA and analysed their transferability within the region. METHODS We searched PubMed and included full text English papers that reported disease-related costs from the local populations of Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen between 1995 and 2019. Screening, study selection and data extraction were done in duplicate. Study-related variables, costing methods, all costs and their characteristics were extracted and analysed via descriptive methods. From multi-country studies of MENA employing homogenous costing methods, we estimated the ratio (cost transfer coefficient) between the relative differences in direct medical costs and macroeconomic indicators via robust regression. We predicted each cost via the estimated cost transfer formula and evaluated prediction error between true and predicted (transferred) costs. RESULTS The search yielded 1646 records, 206 full text papers and 3525 costs from 84 diagnoses. Transferability was analysed involving 144 direct medical costs from eight multi-country studies. Adjusting the average of available foreign costs by 0.28 times the relative difference in GDP per capita provided the most accurate estimates. The correlation between true and predicted costs was 0.96; 68% of predicted costs fell in the true ± 50% range. Predictions were more accurate for costs from studies that involved the largest number of countries, for countries outside the Gulf region and for drug costs versus unit or disease costs. CONCLUSION The estimated cost transfer formula allows the prediction of missing costs in MENA if only GDP per capita is available for adjustment to the local setting. Input costs for the formula should be collected from multiple sources and match the decision situation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsombor Zrubka
- Health Economics Research Center, University Research and Innovation Center, Óbuda University Budapest, Óbudai Egyetem, Bécsi út 96, Budapest, 1034 Hungary
- Corvinus Institute for Advanced Studies, Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Márta Péntek
- Health Economics Research Center, University Research and Innovation Center, Óbuda University Budapest, Óbudai Egyetem, Bécsi út 96, Budapest, 1034 Hungary
| | - Lea Mhanna
- Doctoral School of Applied Informatics and Applied Mathematics, Óbuda University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Teebah Abu-Zahra
- Health Policy and Financing Masters Course, Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Mohamed Mahdi-Abid
- Research Center of Epidemiology and Statistics, Paris University, Paris, France
| | - Meriem Fgaier
- Doctoral School of Applied Informatics and Applied Mathematics, Óbuda University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Faris El-Dahiyat
- College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Hana Al-Abdulkarim
- Doctoral School of Applied Informatics and Applied Mathematics, Óbuda University, Budapest, Hungary
- Drug Policy and Economic Center, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | | | - László Gulácsi
- Health Economics Research Center, University Research and Innovation Center, Óbuda University Budapest, Óbudai Egyetem, Bécsi út 96, Budapest, 1034 Hungary
- Corvinus Institute for Advanced Studies, Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
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Nagi MA, Dewi PEN, Thavorncharoensap M, Sangroongruangsri S. A Systematic Review on Economic Evaluation Studies of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Interventions in the Middle East and North Africa. APPLIED HEALTH ECONOMICS AND HEALTH POLICY 2022; 20:315-335. [PMID: 34931297 DOI: 10.1007/s40258-021-00703-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Due to the increase in healthcare budget constraint, economic evaluation (EE) evidence is increasingly required to inform resource allocation decisions. This study aimed to systematically review quantity, characteristics, and quality of full EE studies on diagnostic and therapeutic interventions conducted in 26 Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries. METHODS PubMed and Scopus databases were comprehensively searched to identify the published EE studies in the MENA region. The quality of reviewed studies was evaluated using the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) checklist. RESULTS The search identified 69 studies. The cost-utility approach was adopted in 49 studies (71 %). More than half (38 studies; 55 %) were conducted in Iran and Turkey. Sixteen countries (62 %) did not have any EE studies. The most frequently analyzed therapeutic areas were infectious diseases (19 studies; 28 %), cardiovascular diseases (11 studies; 16 %), and malignancies (10 studies; 14 %). Ten studies (14 %), 46 (67 %), 12 (17 %), and 1 study (1 %) were classified as excellent, high, moderate, and poor quality, respectively. The mean of items reported was 85.10 % (standard deviation 13.32 %). Characterizing heterogeneity, measurement of effectiveness, time horizon, and discount rate were missed in 21 (60 %), 22 (32 %), 20 (29 %) and 15 (25 %) studies, respectively. Data on effectiveness and utility relied primarily on studies conducted outside the region. CONCLUSIONS The quantity of EE studies in the MENA region remains low; however, overall quality is high to excellent. The availability of local data, capacity building, and national guidelines are vital to improve both the quantity and quality of EE studies in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mouaddh Abdulmalik Nagi
- Doctor of Philosophy Program in Social, Economic, and Administrative Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Aljanad University for Science and Technology, Taiz, Yemen.
| | - Pramitha Esha Nirmala Dewi
- Doctor of Philosophy Program in Social, Economic, and Administrative Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacy Profession, Faculty of Medicine and health Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Montarat Thavorncharoensap
- Social and Administrative Pharmacy Excellence Research (SAPER) Unit, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Sermsiri Sangroongruangsri
- Social and Administrative Pharmacy Division, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
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Maraiki F, Bazarbashi S, Scuffham P, Tuffaha H. Methodological Approaches to Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in Saudi Arabia: What Can We Learn? A Systematic Review. MDM Policy Pract 2022; 7:23814683221086869. [PMID: 35647291 PMCID: PMC9133871 DOI: 10.1177/23814683221086869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The recent establishment of the health technology assessment (HTA) entity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has resulted in increased interest in economic evaluation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the technical approaches used in published economic evaluations and the limitations reported by the authors of the respective studies that could affect the ability to perform economic evaluations in the KSA. METHODS We conducted a systematic literature review of published economic evaluations performed for the KSA over the past 10 years. An electronic literature search of the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases was performed. A CHEERS checklist was used to assess the quality of reporting. Reported limitations were classified into domains including the definition of perspectives, identification of comparators, estimation of costs and resources, and use of the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio threshold. RESULTS Twelve evaluations were identified; most involved cost-effectiveness analysis (92%). Missing and unclear data were found within the CHEERS criteria. Regardless of the perspective used, most described the perspective as an "institutional" perspective (70%) and almost half were reclassified by the current reviewer (42%). Most did not clearly state the comparator (83%), and published model comparators were commonly used (50%). Resource estimation was mostly performed by the authors of the respective studies (67%), and costs were mostly obtained from hospital institutional data (75%). The lack of an established threshold for the country-specific willingness to pay was observed in 50% of the analyses. CONCLUSIONS Economic evaluations from the KSA are limited. Capacity building and country-specific HTA guidelines could improve the quality of evaluations to better inform decision making. HIGHLIGHTS Economic analysis of health technology should follow standard guidelines. Unfortunately, these guides are often underutilized, and our findings identify considerable missing, not clearly stated, or incomplete data within the analyses, which can weaken the impact of the recommendations.The limitations reported by the authors of the respective studies emphasize the suboptimal quality of the reporting. A lack of data was frequently identified and resulted in using "institutional" practice as a major source of data input for the analyses.In light of the call for the establishment of an HTA entity in the KSA, framing a standard analytic approach when conducting economic evaluations will support HTA in informing resource allocation decisions. We hope that our findings highlight the need for country-specific guidance to improve practice and enhance future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatma Maraiki
- Fatma Maraiki, King Faisal Hospital and
Research Centre, P.O. Box 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia;
()
| | - Shouki Bazarbashi
- Oncology Centre, King Faisal Hospital and
Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Centre for Applied Health Economics, School of
Medicine, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Paul Scuffham
- Centre for Applied Health Economics, School of
Medicine, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
- Menzies Health Institute, Griffith University,
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Haitham Tuffaha
- Centre for the Business and Economics of
Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Al-Aqeel S, Alnaim L, Alghaith J, Almosabhi L. Cancer Impacts on Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Income Loss, and Informal (Unpaid) Care: A Cross-Sectional Study of Patient Perspective. J Patient Exp 2021; 8:23743735211049651. [PMID: 34676289 PMCID: PMC8524680 DOI: 10.1177/23743735211049651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
A paper-based questionnaire was used to measure out-of-pocket expenses, income
loss, and informal (unpaid) care from the cancer patient’s perspective. A total
of 181 adult solid cancer patients on chemotherapy for at least 3 months were
recruited from 1 teaching hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The majority were
female (66%) and 41% were 60 years of age or older. A total of 107 respondents
used their own car for transport to and from the hospital to receive
chemotherapy (median distance 42 km). Over the last 4 weeks, 21% purchased
medications, 18% visited a physician, and 8% visited a physiotherapist, spending
a median amount of $47, $220, and $793, respectively. A total of 47 participants
were employed at the time of their cancer diagnoses, and 32% of them reported
some loss of income. A total of 85% of respondents were escorted by a carer
during chemotherapy sessions. Approximately 64%, 31%, 61%, 43%, and 28% reported
getting help from a carer for housework, child care, shopping, medicine taking,
and personal care, respectively. The carer spent on average 50 h per week
looking after the patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinaa Al-Aqeel
- 1 Clinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Lamya Alnaim
- 1 Clinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jeelan Alghaith
- 1 Clinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Latifa Almosabhi
- 1 Clinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Al-Aqeel SA, AlAujan SS, Almazrou SH. The Institute for Medical Technology Assessment Productivity Cost Questionnaire (iPCQ) and the Medical Consumption Questionnaire (iMCQ): Translation and Cognitive Debriefing of the Arabic Version. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18147232. [PMID: 34299684 PMCID: PMC8303958 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18147232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to translate the Institute for Medical Technology Assessment Productivity Cost Questionnaire (iPCQ) and the Medical Consumption Questionnaire (iMCQ) from English into Arabic and perform cognitive debriefing in a Saudi Arabian setting. We conducted the translation according to guidelines, including two independent forward translations and a backward translation. Cognitive debriefing was carried out in two stages. First, the pre-final translated versions of the two questionnaires were tested on a group of respondents (n = 5) using face-to-face or telephone interviews. The participants completed a copy of the questionnaires, identified items or questions that were confusing or misunderstood, and then answered a series of open-ended questions about their understanding of each instruction, question and response option. Second, another group of participants (n = 17) completed the questionnaire and circled any word that was confusing or difficult to understand and provided comments on the questionnaires. The Arabic translation and linguistic validation were realized without any major difficulties. The few changes made after cognitive debriefing generally related to changing one word to a more appropriate Arabic word. The final Arabic translation needs to be validated for psychometric properties such as validity and reliability before being recommended for use in future research.
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