RESUMO
Indirect treatment comparison (ITC) and multiple treatment comparison (MTC) meta-analyses are increasingly being used to estimate the comparative effectiveness of interventions when head-to-head data do not exist. ITC meta-analyses can be conducted using simple methodology to compare two interventions. MTC meta-analyses can be conducted using more complex methodology, often employing Bayesian approaches, to compare multiple interventions. As the number of ITC and MTC meta-analyses increase, it is common to find multiple analyses evaluating the same interventions in similar therapeutic areas. Depending on the choice of the methodological approach, the conclusions about relative treatment efficacy may differ. Such situations create uncertainty for decision makers. An illustration of this is provided by four ITC and MTC meta-analyses assessing the efficacy of boceprevir and telaprevir for chronic hepatitis C virus infection. This paper examines why these evaluations provide discordant results by examining specific methodological issues that can strengthen or weaken inferences.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost-utility of adding tiotropium to usual care versus usual care alone for patients with moderate to very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the UK and Belgium. METHODS: A four-state Markov model was developed with three disease severity states (moderate, severe, very severe) and death. Severity was based on post-bronchodilator FEV1 and transitions were based on outcomes of the Understanding Potential Long Term Impacts on Function with Tiotropium (UPLIFT®) trial. Utilities were derived from EQ-5D scores for a subset of UPLIFT® patients. UK costs were evaluated separately for England (E), and for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (SWNI). Belgian (B) costs were obtained from local sources. Uncertainty was assessed by deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA). RESULTS: Adding tiotropium to usual care resulted in an incremental cost per patient of 969 (B), £796 (E), and £812 (SWNI), and incremental QALYs of 0.052 (B), and 0.051 (E, SWNI). The four-year incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) were 18,617 (B), £15,567 (E) and £15,890 (SWNI) per QALY. Probability of tiotropium being cost-effective at £30,000 (50,000) per QALY gained was greater than 60%. CONCLUSIONS: At willingness to pay thresholds of £() 30,000 per QALY gained, adding tiotropium to usual care is cost-effective.
Assuntos
Broncodilatadores/economia , Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica/tratamento farmacológico , Derivados da Escopolamina/economia , Broncodilatadores/uso terapêutico , Análise Custo-Benefício , Progressão da Doença , Custos de Medicamentos , Feminino , Recursos em Saúde/economia , Recursos em Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Humanos , Masculino , Cadeias de Markov , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica/economia , Qualidade de Vida , Anos de Vida Ajustados por Qualidade de Vida , Derivados da Escopolamina/uso terapêutico , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Brometo de Tiotrópio , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
AIMS: The aim of this study was to determine the direct and indirect costs of Crohn's disease (CD) in paediatric and perianal patients in Canterbury in one year. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was performed. Paediatric CD patients and adult patients with perianal CD were recruited over a three month period. Interviews were conducted to obtain information regarding demographic, socioeconomic factors, and indirect costs. Hospital clinical notes were reviewed to determine direct health care utilisation and costs. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients (24 paediatric and 25 perianal CD) were enrolled. In one year the total costs per patient for paediatric CD were $14,375 with direct and indirect costs comprising $12,583 and $1,792, respectively. The total costs per patient for perianal CD were $20,366 with direct and indirect costs comprising $18,261 and $2,105, respectively. Extrapolating these data across New Zealand, the total cost of paediatric and perianal CD in one year is approximately $25.9 million and $36.7 million, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Paediatric and perianal CD are high-cost diseases with significant costs borne by patients and their families. Expensive pharmaceuticals comprise a significant proportion of the costs: increased access to these drugs might decrease hospital admissions and prevent work absenteeism and loss of carer productivity.