Health-related quality of life as measured by the EQ-5D in the prevention, screening and management of cervical disease: A systematic review

Purpose: Cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs) of screening can be highly sensitive to the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) effects of screen tests and subsequent treatment. Accordingly, accurate assessment of HRQoL is essential. We reviewed the literature regarding HRQoL in cervical prevention and management in order to appraise the current evidence regarding this important input to CEA. Methods: We searched the MEDLINE, Scopus and EconLit databases for studies that estimated HRQoL in cervical cancer prevention and management published January 1995–December 2015. The primary inclusion criterion was for studies that assess HRQoL using the EQ-5D. Data were abstracted from eligible studies on setting, elicitation group, sample size, elicitation instruments, health state valuations, study design and follow-up. We assessed the quality and comparability of the studies with a particular focus on the HRQoL reported across states and groups. Results: Fifteen papers met the inclusion criteria. Most used patient elicitation groups (n = 11), 2 used the general public and 2 used a mix of both. Eight studies were cross-sectional and seven were longitudinal. Six studies used both the EQ-5D-3L and the EQ-VAS together with other measures of overall HRQoL or condition-specific instruments. Extensive heterogeneity was observed across study characteristics. Conclusions: Our results reveal the challenges of sourcing reliable estimates of HRQoL for use in CEAs of cervical cancer prevention and treatment. The EQ-5D appears insufficiently sensitive for some health states. A more general problem is the paucity of HRQoL estimates for many health states and their change over time.Health Research BoardAccess provided by IREL Consortium c/o Maynooth University The Library Maynooth Universit

Health-related quality of life in women after colposcopy: results from a longitudinal patient survey

Background: Information concerning the health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) consequences of colposcopy is limited, particularly over time. In a longitudinal study, we investigated women’s HRQoL at 4, 8 and 12 months post colposcopy and the factors associated with this. Methods: Women attending colposcopy at two large hospitals affiliated with the national screening programme in Ireland were invited to complete questionnaires at 4, 8 and 12 months post colposcopy. HRQoL was measured using the EQ-5D-3L and compared across a range of socio-demographic, clinical and attitudinal variables. A mixed-effects logistic multivariable model was employed to investigate associations between these variables and low HRQoL. Results: Of 584 women initially recruited, 429, 343 and 303 completed questionnaires at 4, 8 and 12 months, respectively. The mean overall HRQoL score for the sample across all time points was 0.90 (SD 0.16). Approximately 18% of women experienced low HRQoL at each of the three time points. In multivariable testing, over the entire 12-month follow-up period, non-Irish nationals (OR 8.99, 95% CI 2.35–34.43) and women with high-grade referral cytology (OR 2.78, 95% CI 1.08–7.13) were at higher odds of low HRQoL. Women who were past (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.07–0.58) or never (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.16–1.12) smokers were at lower odds of low HRQoL than current smokers. As women’s satisfaction with their healthcare increased their odds of experiencing low HRQoL fell (OR per unit increase 0.51, 95% CI 0.34–0.75). Conclusions: Women’s HRQoL did not change over the 12 months post colposcopy, but some subgroups of women were at higher risk of experiencing low HRQoL. These subgroups may benefit from additional support

Counting the cost of cancer: out-of-pocket payments made by colorectal cancer survivors

Purpose Cancer places a significant cost burden on health services. There is increasing recognition that cancer also imposes a financial and economic burden on patients but this has rarely been quantified outside North America. We investigate out-of-pocket costs (OOPCs) incurred by colorectal (CRC) survivors in Ireland. Methods CRC survivors (ICD10 C18-20) diagnosed 6–30 months previously were identified from the National Cancer Registry Ireland and invited to complete a postal questionnaire. Cancer-related OOPC for tests, procedures, drugs, allied medications and household management in approximately the year following diagnosis were calculated. Robust regression was used to identify predictors of OOPC; this was done for all survivors combined and stratified by age (<70 and ≥70 years) and employment status (working and not working) at diagnosis. Results Four hundred ninety-seven CRC survivors completed questionnaires (response rate = 39%). Almost all (90%) respondents reported some cancer-related OOPC. The average total OOPC was €1589. Stage III at diagnosis was associated with significantly higher OOPCs than other stages in the all-survivor model, in those not working in the employment model and in those under 70 years in the age-stratified model. In all-survivor model, those under 70 also had higher OOPCs, as did those in employment. Having one or more children was associated with significantly lower OOPCs in those under 70 years. Conclusions Almost all CRC survivors incur cancer-related OOPCs; for some, these are not insignificant. Greater attention should be paid to the development of services to help survivors manage the financial and economic burden of cancer

Time Costs Associated with Informal Care for Colorectal Cancer: An Investigation of the Impact of Alternative Valuation Methods

Background A societal perspective in economic evaluation necessitates that all resources associated with a disease or intervention should be valued; however, informal care time costs are rarely considered. Objective We estimated time allocated to care by informal carers of colorectal cancer survivors; and investigated the impact of applying alternative valuation methods to this time. Methods Colorectal cancer cases (ICD10 C18-C20) diagnosed 6–30 months previously and identified from the National Cancer Registry Ireland were invited to provide details of informal carers. Carers completed a postal questionnaire. Time estimates per week associated with hospital-related and domestic-related care activities were collected for two phases: diagnosis and initial treatment (initial 3 months) and ongoing care (previous 30 days). Seven valuation scenarios, based on variants of the opportunity cost approach (OCA), and the proxy good approach (PGA), were considered. The base-case was OCA with all carer time valued at the average national wage. Results We received 154 completed questionnaires (response rate = 68 %). Average weekly time allocated to caring was 42.5 h in the diagnosis and initial treatment phase and 16.9 h in the ongoing care phase. Under the base-case, average weekly time costs were €295 (95 % CI 255–344) for hospital-related activities and €630 (95 % CI 543–739) for domestic-related activities in the diagnosis and initial treatment phase and €359 (95 % CI 293–434) in the ongoing care phase. PGA estimates were 23 % below the base-case. Only one alternative scenario (occupation and gender-specific wages for carers in paid work and replacement wages for non-working carers) surpassed base-case costs, and the difference was modest. Conclusions Overall, significant time is associated with informal caring in colorectal cancer. Different time valuation methods can produce quite different cost estimates. A standardised methodology for estimating informal care costs would facilitate better integration of these into economic evaluations