Clinical efficacy and cost-benefit analysis of nocturnal home oxygen therapy in patients with central sleep apnea caused by chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence that both obstructive and central sleep apnea contribute to the progression and prognosis in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). In the main study of nocturnal home oxygen therapy (HOT) in patients with central sleep apnea because of CHF (CHF-HOT), significant improvements in oxygen desaturation index, apnea - hypopnea index, left ventricular ejection fraction, and specific activity scale were reported following 12 weeks of nocturnal HOT in these patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: The present study is designed to further evaluate the clinical efficacy and cost - benefit of nocturnal HOT according to the results of a follow-up survey on changes in frequencies of hospitalization, emergency visits, and regular outpatient visits by 53 patients undergoing nocturnal HOT for more than 6 month periods. Medical costs were estimated from the DPC-MDC5 charge for hospitalization because of worsening heart failure (HF), and from the standard model case estimation for emergency and regular outpatient visits for HF. To reveal the time-saving benefit following nocturnal HOT, the influence on estimated days spent for hospital-care was also analyzed. The present study revealed significant reduction in frequencies and length of hospitalization (2.1 to 0.5 times/year, 38.7 to 34.6 days, medical cost: -2,686,267 yen), emergency visit (2.5 to 0.7 times/year, -15,984 yen), and regular outpatient visit (17.7 to 12.6 times/year, -6,324 yen) as compared with those before the induction of nocturnal HOT, which resulted in a total medical cost-reduction of 1,854,175 yen/patient/year, even with the additional charge for nocturnal HOT (854,400 yen/patient/year). Furthermore, nocturnal HOT produced a remarkable decline in estimated days spent for hospital-care (88.2 to 21.2 days/patient/year). CONCLUSION: The present analysis calculated a remarkable cost-benefit (1,854,175 yen/patient/year) from the reduction in hospitalization and emergency visits, and also time-saving benefits from an increase in expected days free from hospital-care (67 days/patient/year).

Cost evaluation of basiliximab treatment for renal transplant patients in Japan.

BACKGROUND: International phase III studies (CHIB 201 and 352) showed that basiliximab, a high affinity chimeric monoclonal antibody interleukin-2 receptor antagonist, is highly effective in preventing acute rejection when used as immunoprophylaxis in patients receiving cyclosporin (Neoral). We conducted a cost evaluation by applying international clinical results to standard Japanese medical practice. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of basiliximab in renal transplant patients receiving conventional immunosuppressive therapy using cyclosporin and corticosteroids from the perspective of the healthcare payer in Japan. STUDY DESIGN: A decision tree model was developed, comprising seven pathways with key clinical events identified after the transplantation. The average first-year treatment costs after transplantation for patients treated with and without basiliximab were calculated using the model. A sensitivity analysis was done to measure the degree of influence of several criteria including the incidences of rejection, and rejection responding to steroid pulse therapy and antibody therapy. METHODS: Estimates of key clinical events were derived from the international studies. Calculation of direct medical costs were made from the payers' perspective, based on the Social Insurance Medical Fee Table in Japan. The cost of basiliximab was assumed as zero. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES AND RESULTS: Basiliximab use produced an estimated saving of 315,807 yen (2000 values) during the first year after transplantation. Reduced acute rejection treatment and dialysis most influenced the cost saving. The sensitivity analysis showed that the average cost for a patient was lower in the basiliximab group and that the model was effective within the plausible range of each criterion that would reflect renal transplantation in Japan. CONCLUSIONS: If the cost of basiliximab is less than 315,807 yen, the clinical and economic benefits of basiliximab in the first year after transplantation support the routine use of basiliximab in renal transplantation in Japan.