Cost utility of screening for Barrett's esophagus with esophageal capsule endoscopy versus conventional upper endoscopy

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Screening for Barrett's esophagus with conventional esophagoduodenoscopy (EGD) is recommended to decrease mortality from esophageal adenocarcinoma. Esophageal capsule endoscopy (ECE) has recently been shown to be accurate in detecting Barrett's esophagus. We aimed to compare the cost-effectiveness of screening by ECE with screening by EGD.

METHODS

A Markov model of 50-year-old white men with symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux was constructed to compare screening modalities. The model incorporated direct medical costs and indirect costs of lost productivity and followed the patients until age 80 years or death. Outcomes were analyzed from the societal perspective.

RESULTS

EGD screening prevented 60% of cancer deaths at a cost of $11,254 per quality-adjusted life year gained compared with no screening. ECE prevented 53% of cancer deaths and provided 9 fewer quality-adjusted days at greater cost than EGD. If society were only willing to pay $50,000 per quality-adjusted life year gained, then capsule screening would be preferred if the income of the patient and driver were each greater than $280,682. Otherwise, the findings were robust to all sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

Screening for Barrett's esophagus with either EGD or ECE results in similar outcomes, but EGD is the preferred strategy. Both strategies appear cost-effective, and the model does not take into account patient preferences for screening modality or adherence.

Capsule endoscopy: an alternative to duodenal biopsy for the recognition of villous atrophy in coeliac disease?

BACKGROUND

Villous atrophy present on a duodenal biopsy remains the 'gold standard' diagnostic test for coeliac disease. However, endoscopic biopsy may cause morbidity and discomfort. Our aim was to evaluate wireless capsule endoscopy as an alternative test for the recognition of villous atrophy.

METHOD

Twenty-one patients with a positive endomysial antibody referred for endoscopy and duodenal biopsy were also offered a wireless capsule endoscopy to evaluate their small bowel. Concurrently, other patients (n=23) referred for a wireless capsule endoscopy acted as controls. Wireless capsule endoscopy reports were assessed for the presence of villous atrophy by one blinded investigator.

RESULTS

Twenty endomysial antibody positive patients subsequently had villous atrophy on duodenal biopsy. The controls all had normal duodenal biopsies (with a negative endomysial antibody) and no evidence of villous atrophy noted on their wireless capsule endoscopy. Of the 20 endomysial antibody positive patients with confirmed villous atrophy on biopsy, 17 had villous atrophy also detected by wireless capsule endoscopy. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for wireless capsule endoscopy recognising villous atrophy were 85%, 100%, 100%, 88.9%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Wireless capsule endoscopy may be an option to recognise villous atrophy in patients with a positive endomysial antibody who are unwilling, or unable to have a gastroscopy. However, a negative test should be followed by a biopsy if coeliac disease is to be excluded.

Cost-benefit analysis of capsule endoscopy compared with standard upper endoscopy for the detection of Barrett's esophagus

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Esophageal capsule endoscopy (ECE) is a promising new technology for the detection of esophageal pathology. Potential advantages for Barrett's esophagus (BE) screening include ability to return to work as a result of lack of intravenous sedation.

METHODS

We designed a Markov model to compare lifetime costs and life expectancy for a cohort of 50-year old men with chronic GERD for the presence of BE. We compared the base-case strategy of no screening for BE to 2 competing screening strategies: (1) ECE followed by upper endoscopy (EGD) if BE were suspected or if there was poor visualization on the ECE; and (2) standard sedated EGD with biopsy. Cost estimates were obtained from a third-party payer perspective. For each strategy we determined lifetime costs, life-years gained, numbers of esophageal cancers detected, death rates from esophageal cancer, and procedural deaths.

RESULTS

Initial EGD was more expensive but more effective compared with the no screening strategy. Assuming a theoretical cohort of 10,000 patients with GERD, initial EGD cost $1988 and was associated with 18.54 life-years compared with $2392 and 18.36 life-years for the ECE arm and $901 and 18.30 life-years for the no screening arm. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of screening with EGD compared with the no screening arm was $4530 per life-year gained. The model was robust to a wide range of sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

Initial EGD appears more effective and less costly compared with ECE under base-case conditions for patients with chronic GERD undergoing screening for BE.

Capsule enteroscopy vs. other diagnostic procedures in diagnosing obscure gastrointestinal bleeding: a cost-effectiveness study

BACKGROUND

Capsule enteroscopy is considered the gold standard for evaluating patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. The costs of capsule enteroscopy examination, however, make it uncertain whether the clinically relevant diagnostic gain is also associated with cost savings.

AIM

To evaluate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of capsule enteroscopy in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.

METHODS

Retrospective study was carried out in nine Italian gastroenterology units from 2003 to 2005. Data on 369 consecutive patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding were collected. The diagnostic yield of capsule enteroscopy vs. other imaging procedures was evaluated as a measure of efficacy. The values of Diagnosis Related Group 175 (euro 1884.00 for obscure-occult bleeding and euro 2141.00 for obscure-overt bleeding) were calculated as measures of economic outcomes in the cost analysis.

RESULTS

Obscure and occult gastrointestinal bleeding was recorded in 177 patients (48%) with a mean duration of anemia history of 17.6+/-20.7 months. Among patients, 60.9% had had at least one hospital admission, 21.2% at least two, and 1.2% of obscure bleeders up to nine admissions. Overall, 58.4% of patients had positive findings with capsule enteroscopy compared with 28.0% with other imaging procedures (P<0.001). The mean cost of a positive diagnosis with capsule enteroscopy was euro 2090.76 and that of other procedures was euro 3828.83 with a mean cost saving of euro 1738.07 (P<0.001) for one positive diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Capsule enteroscopy is a cost-saving approach in the evaluation of patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.

Analysis of small-bowel capsule endoscopy reading by using Quickview mode: training assistants for reading may produce a high diagnostic yield and save time for physicians

GOAL

The aim was to investigate the clinical utility of RAPID Access 6.5 Quickview software and to evaluate whether preview of the capsule endoscopy video by a trained nurse could detect significant lesions accurately compared with endoscopists.

BACKGROUND

As reading capsule endoscopy is time consuming, one possible cost-effective strategy could be the use of trained nonphysicians or newly available software to preread and identify potentially important capsule images.

STUDY

The 100 capsule images of a variety of significant lesions from 87 patients were investigated. The minimum percentages for settings of sensitivity that could pick up the selected images and the detection rate for significant lesions by a well-trained nurse, two endoscopists with limited experience in reading, and one well-trained physician were examined.

RESULTS

The frequency of the selected lesions picked up by Quickview mode using percentages for sensitivity settings of 5%, 15%, 25%, and 35% were 61%, 74%, 93%, and 98%, respectively. The percentages for sensitivity significantly correlated (r=0.78, P<0.001) with the reading time. The detection rate by the nurse or the well-trained physician was significantly higher than that by the physician with limited capsule experience (87% and 84.1% vs. 62.7%; P<0.01). The clinical use of Quickview at 25% did not significantly improve the detection rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Quickview mode can reduce reading time but has an unacceptably miss rate for potentially important lesions. Use of a trained nonphysician assistant can reduce physician's time and improve diagnostic yield.

Detection of abnormal lesions recorded by capsule endoscopy. A prospective study comparing endoscopist's and nurse's accuracy

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIM

Capsule endoscopy is a non-invasive technique for small bowel examination but its evaluation is time consuming. The aim of this study was to assess whether, following adequate training, an endoscopy nurse is capable of picking up all significant images without reducing the diagnostic accuracy of the procedure.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between April 2003 and December 2004, a total of 41 consecutive capsule endoscopy studies were blindly reviewed by both an endoscopy nurse and an endoscopist. The two operators had to select all significant images independently and to complete a structured questionnaire. Thirty-nine capsule endoscopy examinations (two studies discharged for premature battery failure) were evaluated. The agreement between the two operators was calculated by kappa statistics (coefficient of agreement).

RESULTS

Agreement was excellent for all kind of selected lesions (mean kappa>0.85); the agreement was complete (kappa=1) for site identification, active bleeding, stenosis and negative studies. The greater disagreement (kappa=0.77) was found in cases of subtle mucosal abnormalities (i.e. reduction of villi), which were over-estimated by the nurse.

CONCLUSIONS

The preview recordings made by the nurse may increase the cost/effectiveness of the study, by considerably reducing the time needed for the endoscopist to make the final report (about 5-10 min), without compromising final diagnosis.

The cost-effectiveness analysis of video capsule endoscopy compared to other strategies to manage acute upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage in the ED

STUDY OBJECTIVE

Acute upper gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage is a common presentation in hospital-based emergency departments (EDs). A novel diagnostic approach is to use video capsule endoscopy to directly visualize the upper GI tract and identify bleeding. Our objective was to evaluate and compare the relative costs and benefits of video capsule endoscopy compared to other strategies in low- to moderate-risk ED patients with acute upper GI hemorrhage.

METHODS

We constructed a model using standard decision analysis software to examine the cost-effectiveness of 4 available strategies for a base-case patient who presents to the ED with either mild- or moderate-risk scenarios (by Glasgow-Blatchford Score) for requiring invasive hemostatic intervention (ie, endoscopic, surgical, etc) The 4 available diagnostic strategies were (1) direct imaging with video capsule endoscopy performed in the ED; (2) risk stratification using the Glasgow-Blatchford score; (3) nasogastric tube placement; and, finally, (4) an admit-all strategy.

RESULTS

In the low-risk scenario, video capsule endoscopy was the preferred strategy (cost $5691, 14.69 quality-adjusted life years [QALYs]) and was more cost-effective than the remaining strategies including nasogastric tube strategy (cost $8159, 14.69 QALYs), risk stratification strategy (cost $10,695, 14.69 QALYs), and admit-all strategy (cost $22,766, 14.68 QALYs). In the moderate-risk scenario, video capsule endoscopy continued to be the preferred strategy (cost $9190, 14.56 QALYs) compared to nasogastric tube (cost $9487, 14.58 QALYs, incremental cost-effectiveness ratio $15,891) and more cost effective than admit-all strategy (cost, $22,584, 14.54 QALYs.)

CONCLUSION

Video capsule endoscopy may be cost-effective for low- and moderate-risk patients presenting to the ED with acute upper GI hemorrhage.

A platform for gastric cancer screening in low- and middle-income countries

Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide and screening programs have had a significant impact on reducing mortality. The majority of cases occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), where endoscopy resources are traditionally limited. In this paper, we introduce a platform designed to enable inexpensive gastric screening to take place in remote areas of LMIC. The system consists of a swallowable endoscopic capsule connected to an external water distribution system by a multichannel soft tether. Pressurized water is ejected from the capsule to orient the view of the endoscopic camera. After completion of a cancer screening procedure, the outer shell of the capsule and the soft tether can be disposed, while the endoscopic camera is reclaimed without needing further reprocessing. The capsule, measuring 12 mm in diameter and 28 mm in length, is able to visualize the inside of the gastric cavity by combining waterjet actuation and the adjustment of the tether length. Experimental assessment was accomplished through a set of bench trials, ex vivo analysis, and in vivo feasibility validation. During the ex vivo trials, the platform was able to visualize the main landmarks that are typically observed during a gastric cancer screening procedure in less than 8 min. Given the compact footprint, the minimal cost of the disposable parts, and the possibility of running on relatively available and inexpensive resources, the proposed platform can potentially widen gastric cancer screening programs in LMIC.

Capsule endoscopy in suspected small bowel Crohn's disease: economic impact of disease diagnosis and treatment

AIM

To model clinical and economic benefits of capsule endoscopy (CE) compared to ileo-colonoscopy and small bowel follow-through (SBFT) for evaluation of suspected Crohn's disease (CD).

METHODS

Using decision analytic modeling, total and yearly costs of diagnostic work-up for suspected CD were calculated, including procedure-related adverse events, hospitalizations, office visits, and medications. The model compared CE to SBFT following ileo-colonoscopy and secondarily compared CE to SBFT for initial evaluation.

RESULTS

Aggregate charges for newly diagnosed, medically managed patients are approximately $8295. Patients requiring aggressive medical management costs are $29,508; requiring hospitalization, $49,074. At sensitivity > 98.7% and specificity of > 86.4%, CE is less costly than SBFT.

CONCLUSION

Costs of CE for diagnostic evaluation of suspected CD is comparable to SBFT and may be used immediately following ileo-colonoscopy.

Cost estimation of small bowel capsule endoscopy based on "real world" data: inpatient or outpatient procedure?

BACKGROUND

Although capsule endoscopy is the cornerstone for the evaluation of the small bowel in patients with obscure GI bleeding data about costs are lacking.

AIM

To evaluate, from a third party payer point of view, whether performing capsule endoscopy as an outpatient instead of an inpatient procedure can reduce costs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The data source is a multicentre survey collecting data for 2921 patients; 1486 of them underwent capsule endoscopy for obscure GI bleeding or chronic unexplained iron-deficiency anaemia as inpatients (814 with positive, 211 with inconclusive and 461 with negative result). We estimated costs of inpatient procedures based on the diagnosis related groups (DRG) system, while those of outpatient procedures on reimbursement provided in five Italian regions.

RESULTS

We estimated that the cost for each inpatient undergoing capsule endoscopy is about € 1775.90. Assuming that all these patients had undergone the same procedure as outpatients, € 175.00-741.00 per patient (depending on the reimbursement and/or on diagnosis related group codes applied) would have been saved.

CONCLUSIONS

Our estimate suggests that, from the third party payer's perspective and using the diagnosis related group reimbursement system, shifting capsule endoscopy from inpatient to outpatient procedure, would be potentially cost saving at least for patients referred for obscure GI bleeding or chronic unexplained anaemia.

Capsule endoscopy: current status in obscure gastrointestinal bleeding

Capsule endoscopy (CE) is a safe, non invasive diagnostic modality for the evaluation of small bowel lesions. Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) is one of the most important indications of capsule endoscopy. Capsule endoscopy has a very high diagnostic yield especially if the bleeding is ongoing. This technique appears to be superior to other techniques for the detection of suspected lesions and the source of bleeding. Capsule endoscopy has been shown to change the outcome in patients with obscure gastrointestinal (GI) bleed.

Prospective cost analysis of early video capsule endoscopy versus standard of care in non-hematemesis gastrointestinal bleeding: a non-inferiority study

Background and aim: A non-inferiority cost analysis was performed to assess if the early capsule approach would incur higher costs than the standard of care approach in patients presenting with non-hematemesis gastrointestinal bleeding.Methods: A prospective non-inferiority cost analysis was performed on patients receiving either an early video capsule as the first diagnostic procedure or an endoscopic procedure as determined by gastroenterology staff that were not involved in the study. Primary outcome was total direct costs incurred in both groups.Results: Forty-five patients and 42 patients were enrolled into the early capsule and standard of care arms, respectively. There was no difference in total direct cost per inpatient case in both groups ($7,362 vs $7,148, p = 0.77 [CI = -2,285-2,315, equivalent margin = -$3,100]). Localization of a bleeding source after the first diagnostic procedure was identified more frequently in the early capsule group (69.2% vs 27.9%, p = 0.0003). If patients were discharged after their last non-diagnostic evaluation, then length of stay could be decreased by 50% in both groups (58.5 to 31.6 h, p = 0.02 in the early capsule group and 69.4 to 39.2 h in the standard of care group p = 0.001). Projections indicate the fastest a patient with non-diagnostic evaluations could be discharged is 0.88 days in the early capsule group vs 1.63 days in the standard of care group (p = 0.0005).Discussion: In patients with non-hematemesis bleeding, video capsule endoscopy may be a more efficient diagnostic approach than the standard of care approach, since it detects bleeding significantly more often without an increase in healthcare costs.

[Bowel imaging--capsule endoscopy]

The small bowel has ever since been the "black box" of endoscopy. The long distance from mouth to anus limits the use of conventional endoscopy for the multiple complex looped configurations. For some years now the new technology of wireless capsule endoscopy allows the endoscopic imaging of the complete small bowel. After ingestion of a small pill-size video capsule a continuous series of images is transmitted to an external recorder, whose data can be reviewed after completion of the examination. Compared to other diagnostic tools like push-enteroscopy, capsule endoscopy proves higher diagnostic yield for the detection of bleeding sources in obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. Its results for this task seem to be comparable to those of intraoperative endoscopy, so far considered as gold standard. Capsule endoscopy also opens up new horizons in diagnosing different small-bowel affections like Crohn's disease and polyposis syndromes. Complication rate is low, the main problem being the entrapment of the capsule in a previous unknown stricture which limits its use in Crohn's disease considerably. To date capsule endoscopy needs further evaluation in respect to outcome and cost-effectiveness in order to confirm its role as an important diagnostic tool for the small bowel.

Capsule endoscopy: no longer limited to the small bowel

Capsule endoscopy is the latest evolution in gastrointestinal endoscopy and the first to enable complete investigation of the small bowel. Recent new developments in the field of capsule endoscopy include the esophageal capsule (Pilcam ESO) and the colonic capsule (PillCam Colon). esophageal and colonic capsules have two heads with two lenses and cameras. The new capsules have the capability of taking more frames from both sides. The indications for the esophageal capsule examination are diagnosis and follow-up of Barrett's esophagus and esophageal varices. The colonic capsule can be used for colorectal cancer screening and for incomplete colonoscopy. Regarding other new technologies, continuous quality control is needed for the performance, appropriateness of the indications, diagnostic yield, procedure-specific outcome assessment, and cost-effectiveness.

[Suppression of geomagnetic field interference in the magnet locating system of the micro-magnetic capsule inside the alimentary tract]

A method for the suppression of geomagnetic field interference is here-in introduced. It is designed for use in the magnet locating system of the engineering-based microcapsule inside the alimentary tract. This method marks the geomagnetic field interference levels by getting the static value. Then subtracting the static value from the dynamic value. The results of the experiment show that the method can assess the geomagnetic fi eld interference levels around thelocating waistcoat accurately. And the three-dimensional tracking trajectory shows that the method has greatly improved the accuracy of the capsule location inside the alimentary tract.

Capsule endoscopy of the small bowel in the clinical practice: outpatient management is feasible and cheaper

AIM

Four Italian regions have cost coding for outpatient capsule-endoscopy. Elsewhere it is performed in ordinary hospital admission. To identify, in a cohort of patients of a Gastroenterology Unit, those feasible for outpatient versus inpatient treatment; to analyze costs distribution in both management areas.

METHODS

We retrospectively analysed 100 clinical records of admissions to A.O. San-Carlo-Borromeo, Milan between 2005-2008. Hospitalization criteria (at least 3): 1) occult/obscure gastrointestinal bleeding; 2) hemoglobin ≤ 8 gr/dL; 3) indication for blood transfusions; 4) urgent hospital admission.

RESULTS

A total of 62 patients had urgent admission, 60 blood transfusions, 81 underwent EGD and colonoscopy, 8 enteroscopy and 5 surgery. Mean haemoglobin value was 8.67 g/dL. Capsule-endoscopy was positive in 70, uncertain in 8, negative in 22. Positive cases: 33 angiodyplasia, 18 ulcers/erosions, 13 polyps/masses, 5 overt bleeding, 1 celiac disease. 47/100 were appropriate as outpatient, saving 432 days of hospital stays. Admission coding was grouped into 7 DRGs (overall expense: 98,366 Euros). Considering EGD/colonoscopy outpatient costs and 1.100 euros as estimated value for capsule-endoscopy, the total expense could be 53.919.

CONCLUSION

Outpatient capsule-endoscopy small bowel examination is feasible in half of the cases. It is cost saving, (about 45.000 Euros/100 patients), reducing inappropriate hospital stays.

High concordance between trained nurses and gastroenterologists in evaluating recordings of small bowel video capsule endoscopy (VCE)

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

. The video capsule endoscopy (VCE) is an accurate and validated tool to investigate the entire small bowel mucosa, but VCE recordings interpretation by the gastroenterologist is time-consuming. A pre-reading of VCE recordings by an expert nurse could be accurate and cost saving. We assessed the concordance between nurses and gastroenterologists in detecting lesions on VCE examinations.

METHODS

This was a prospective study enrolling consecutive patients who had undergone VCE in clinical practice. Two trained nurses and two expert gastroenterologists participated in the study. At VCE pre-reading the nurses selected any abnormalities, saved them as "thumbnails" and classified the detected lesions as a vascular abnormality, ulcerative lesion, polyp, tumor mass, and unclassified lesion. Then, the gastroenterologist evaluated and interpreted the selected lesions and, successively, reviewed the entire video for potential missed lesions. The time for VCE evaluation was recorded.

RESULTS

A total of 95 VCE procedures performed on consecutive patients (M/F: 47/48; mean age: 63 +/- 12 years, range: 27-86 years) were evaluated. Overall, the nurses detected at least one lesion in 54 (56.8%) patients. There was total agreement between nurses and gastroenterologists, no missing lesions being discovered at a second look of the entire VCE recording by the physician. The pre-reading procedure by nurse allowed a time reduction of medical evaluation from 49 (33-69) to 10 (8-16) minutes (difference: -79.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that trained nurses can accurately identify and select relevant lesions in thumbnails that subsequently were faster reviewed by the gastroenterologist for a final diagnosis. This could significantly reduce the cost of VCE procedure.

Use of video capsule endoscopy in Crohn's disease

Capsule endoscopy has been available since 2001 to image the small intestine, a boon to practitioners managing patients with inflammatory bowel disease. During the last ten years, new technologies have been developed, including computed tomographic enterography, magnetic resonance enterography, in addition to our standard small bowel follow through, all of which image the small bowel. This has created a situation in which multiple options are available to the gastroenterologist to image the small bowel, each with strengths. This review focuses on capsule endoscopy as it pertains to the imaging of the small bowel in patients with known or suspected Crohn's disease. We will focus on comparative imaging data, how capsule endoscopy may aid in the prediction of disease type and course, the avoidance and meaning of capsule retention, along with cost considerations, and directions for the future.

Capsule Endoscopy in the Assessment of Obscure Gastrointestinal Bleeding: An Economic Analysis

BACKGROUND

Small-bowel capsule endoscopy is a tool used to visualize the small bowel to identify the location of bleeds in obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB). Capsule endoscopy is currently funded in Ontario in cases where there has been a failure to identify a source of bleeding via conventional diagnostic procedures. In Ontario, capsule endoscopy is a diagnostic option for patients whose findings on esophagogastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy, and push enteroscopy have been negative (i.e., the source of bleeding was not found).

OBJECTIVES

This economic analysis aims to estimate the budget impact of different rates of capsule endoscopy use as a complement to push enteroscopy procedures in patients aged 18 years and older.

DATA SOURCES

Population-based administrative databases for Ontario were used to identify patients receiving push enteroscopy and small-bowel capsule endoscopy in the fiscal years 2008 to 2012.

REVIEW METHODS

A systematic literature search was performed to identify economic evaluations of capsule endoscopy for the investigation of OGIB. Studies were assessed for their methodological quality and their applicability to the Ontarian setting. An original budget impact analysis was performed using data from Ontarian administrative sources and published literature. The budget impact was estimated for different levels of use of capsule endoscopy as a complement to push enteroscopy due to the uncertain clinical utility of the capsule based on current clinical evidence. The analysis was conducted from the provincial public payer perspective.

RESULTS

With varying rates of capsule endoscopy use, the budgetary impact spans from savings of $510,000, when no (0%) push enteroscopy procedures are complemented with capsule endoscopy, to $2,036,000, when all (100%) push enteroscopy procedures are complemented with capsule endoscopy. A scenario where 50% of push enteroscopy procedures are complemented with capsule endoscopy (expected use based on expert opinion) would result in additional expenditure of about $763,000.

LIMITATIONS

In the literature on OGIB, estimates of rebleeding rates after endoscopic procedures or spontaneous cessation rates are unreliable, with a lack of data. Rough estimates from expert consultation can provide an indication of expected additional use of capsule endoscopy; however, a wide range of capsule uses was explored.

CONCLUSIONS

The budgetary impact in the first year in Ontario of capsule endoscopy use to complement push enteroscopy procedures ranges from $510,000 in savings to an additional expenditure of $2,036,000 (at 0% and 100% push enteroscopy procedures complemented, respectively). The expected scenario of 50% of push enteroscopy procedures likely to benefit from the use of capsule endoscopy, based on expert opinion, would result in additional expenditures of $763,000 in the first year.

Colon Capsule Endoscopy for the Detection of Colorectal Polyps: An Economic Analysis

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in Ontario. Most cases of colorectal cancer are preventable through early diagnosis and the removal of precancerous polyps. Colon capsule endoscopy is a non-invasive test for detecting colorectal polyps.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this analysis were to evaluate the cost-effectiveness and the impact on the Ontario health budget of implementing colon capsule endoscopy for detecting advanced colorectal polyps among adult patients who have been referred for computed tomographic (CT) colonography.

METHODS

We performed an original cost-effectiveness analysis to assess the additional cost of CT colonography and colon capsule endoscopy resulting from misdiagnoses. We generated diagnostic accuracy data from a clinical evidence-based analysis (reported separately), and we developed a deterministic Markov model to estimate the additional long-term costs and life-years lost due to false-negative results. We then also performed a budget impact analysis using data from Ontario administrative sources. One-year costs were estimated for CT colonography and colon capsule endoscopy (replacing all CT colonography procedures, and replacing only those CT colonography procedures in patients with an incomplete colonoscopy within the previous year). We conducted this analysis from the payer perspective.

RESULTS

Using the point estimates of diagnostic accuracy from the head-to-head study between colon capsule endoscopy and CT colonography, we found the additional cost of false-positive results for colon capsule endoscopy to be $0.41 per patient, while additional false-negatives for the CT colonography arm generated an added cost of $116 per patient, with 0.0096 life-years lost per patient due to cancer. This results in an additional cost of $26,750 per life-year gained for colon capsule endoscopy compared with CT colonography. The total 1-year cost to replace all CT colonography procedures with colon capsule endoscopy in Ontario is about $2.72 million; replacing only those CT colonography procedures in patients with an incomplete colonoscopy in the previous year would cost about $740,600 in the first year.

LIMITATIONS

The difference in accuracy between colon capsule endoscopy and CT colonography was not statistically significant for the detection of advanced adenomas (≥ 10 mm in diameter), according to the head-to-head clinical study from which the diagnostic accuracy was taken. This leads to uncertainty in the economic analysis, with results highly sensitive to changes in diagnostic accuracy.

CONCLUSIONS

The cost-effectiveness of colon capsule endoscopy for use in patients referred for CT colonography is $26,750 per life-year, assuming an increased sensitivity of colon capsule endoscopy. Replacement of CT colonography with colon capsule endoscopy is associated with moderate costs to the health care system.

Impact of reimbursement policy in Belgium on the referral pattern and diagnostic yield of capsule endoscopy. A single-centre study

INTRODUCTION

Since the first of July 2008, capsule endoscopy (CE) is partially reimbursed for patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB).

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of reimbursement of CE on the referral pattern and the diagnostic yield of CE.

METHODS

We retrospectively selected data from patients who underwent a CE in the University Hospital of Ghent between July 2002 and June 2009. Following data were analysed: number of CEs, indication, number of transfusion-dependent patients, haemoglobin level and relevance of the CE findings.

RESULTS

There was an increase in the number of patients referred for CE after the first of July 2008. Simultaneously, the number of relevant findings was decreasing. Between July 2002 and June 2003, 66.7% of the capsule endoscopies showed relevant bowel lesions. Over the last 2 years, the diagnostic yield has been decreasing to 40.5% in the period July 2007-June 2008 and only 30.2% in the period July 2008-June 2009. Transfusion need and haemoglobin level at the moment of CE had a significant influence on the diagnostic yield (P < 0.001 for both parameters).

CONCLUSIONS

The number of patients referred for CE has risen since the reimbursement of CE. However, there is a trend towards referral of less severe bleeders, with less transfusion need and a higher haemoglobin level. This significantly lowers the diagnostic yield of CE.