A systematic review and economic evaluation of subcutaneous and sublingual allergen immunotherapy in adults and children with seasonal allergic rhinitis

© Queen’s Printer and Controller of HMSO 2013Severe allergic rhinitis uncontrolled by conventional medication can substantially affect quality of life. Immunotherapy involves administering increasing doses of a specific allergen, with the aim of reducing sensitivity and symptomatic reactions. Recent meta-analyses have concluded that both subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) and sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) are more effective than placebo in reducing symptoms. It is uncertain which route of administration is more effective and whether or not treatment is cost-effective.National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programm

Health-related quality of life measured using the EQ-5D-5L: South Australian population norms

© 2016 The Author(s). Background: Although a five level version of the widely-used EuroQol 5 dimensions (EQ-5D) instrument has been developed, population norms are not yet available for Australia to inform the future valuation of health in economic evaluations. The aim of this study was to estimate HrQOL normative values for the EQ-5D-5L preference-based measure in a large, randomly selected, community sample in South Australia. Methods: The EQ-5D-5L instrument was included in the 2013 South Australian Health Omnibus Survey, an interviewer-administered, face-to-face, cross-sectional survey. Respondents rated their level of impairment across dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression) and global health rating on a visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS). Utility scores were derived using the newly-developed UK general population-based algorithm and relationships between utility and EQ-VAS scores and socio-demographic factors were also explored using multivariate regression analyses. Results: Ultimately, 2,908 adults participated in the survey (63.4 % participation rate). The mean utility and EQ-VAS scores were 0.91 (95 CI 0.90, 0.91) and 78.55 (95 % CI 77.95, 79.15), respectively. Almost half of respondents reported no problems across all dimensions (42.8 %), whereas only 7.2 % rated their health >90 on the EQ-VAS (100=the best health you can imagine). Younger age, male gender, longer duration of education, higher annual household income, employment and marriage/de facto relationships were all independent, statistically significant predictors of better health status (p<0.01) measured with the EQ-VAS. Only age and employment status were associated with higher utility scores, indicating fundamental differences between these measures of health status. Conclusions: This is the first Australian study to apply the EQ-5D-5L in a large, community sample. Overall, findings are consistent with EQ-5D-5L utility and VAS scores reported for other countries and indicate that the majority of South Australian adults report themselves in full health. When valuing health in Australian economic evaluations, the utility population norms can be used to estimate HrQOL. More generally, the EQ-VAS score may be a better measure of population health given the smaller ceiling effect and broader coverage of HrQOL dimensions. Further research is recommended to update EQ-5D-5L population norms using the Australian general population specific scoring algorithm once this becomes publically available

What Drives Responses to Willingness-to-pay Questions? A Methodological Inquiry in the Context of Hypertension Self-management

Background: The use of economic evaluation to determine the cost-effectiveness of health interventions is recommended by decision-making bodies internationally. Understanding factors that explain variations in costs and benefits is important for policy makers. Objective: This work aimed to test a priori hypotheses defining the relationship between benefits of using self-management equipment (measured using the willingness-to-pay (WTP) approach) and a number of demographic and other patient factors. Methods: Data for this study were collected as part of the first major randomised controlled trial of self-monitoring combined with self-titration in hypertension (TASMINH2). A contingent valuation framework was used with patients asked to indicate how much they were willing to pay for equipment used for self-managing hypertension. Descriptive statistics, simple statistical tests of differences and multivariate regression were used to test six a priori hypotheses. Results: 393 hypertensive patients (204 in the intervention and 189 in the control) were willing to pay for self-management equipment and 85% of these (335) provided positive WTP values. Three hypotheses were accepted: higher WTP values were associated with being male, higher household incomes and satisfaction with the equipment. Prior experiences of using this equipment, age and changes in blood pressure were not significantly related to WTP. Conclusion: The majority of hypertensive patients who had taken part in a self-management study were prepared to purchase the self-monitoring equipment using their own funds, more so for men, those with higher incomes and those with greater satisfaction. Further research based on bigger and more diverse populations is recommended

Economic evaluation of point-of-care testing in the remote primary health care setting of Australia’s Northern Territory

Aim: To determine the cost-effectiveness of utilizing point-of-care testing (POCT) on the Abbott i-STAT device as a support tool to aid decisions regarding the emergency medical retrievals of patients at remote health centers in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia. Methods: A decision analytic simulation model-based economic evaluation was conducted using data from patients presenting with three common acute conditions (chest pain, chronic renal failure due to missed dialysis session(s), and acute diarrhea) at six remote NT health centers from July to December 2015. The specific outcomes measured in this study were the number of unnecessary emergency medical retrieval prevented through POCT. Cost savings through prevented unnecessary medical retrievals for each presentation type were then determined and extrapolated to give per annum NT-wide estimates. Results: POCT prevented 60 unnecessary medical evacuations from a total of 200 patient cases meeting the selection criteria (48/147 for chest pain, 10/28 for missed dialysis, and 2/25 for acute diarrhea). The associated cost savings were AUD $4,674,$8,034, and $786 per patient translating to NT-wide savings of AUD$13.72 million, $6.45 million, and$1.57 million per annum (AUD $21.75 million in total) for chest pain, missed dialysis, and acute diarrhea presentations, respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that POCT when used to aid decision making for acutely ill patients delivered significant cost savings for the NT health care system by preventing unnecessary emergency medical retrievals.Brooke A Spaeth, Billingsley Kaambwa, Mark DS Shephard, Rodney Omon

Economic evaluation strategies in telehealth: obtaining a more holistic valuation of telehealth interventions

Telehealth is an emerging area of medical research. Its translation from conception, to research and into practice requires tailored research and economic evaluation methods. Due to their nature telehealth interventions exhibit a number of extra-clinical benefits that are relevant when valuing their costs and outcomes. By incorporating methods to measure societal values such as patient preference and willingness-to-pay, a more holistic value can be placed on the extra-clinical outcomes associated with telehealth and evaluations can represent new interventions more effectively. Cost-benefit analysis is a method by which relevant costs and outcomes in telehealth can be succinctly valued and compared. When health economic methods are conducted using holistic approaches such as cost-benefit analysis they can facilitate the translation of telehealth research into policy and practice

Costs and economic evaluations of Quality Improvement Collaboratives in healthcare: a systematic review

BACKGROUND:In increasingly constrained healthcare budgets worldwide, efforts to improve quality and reduce costs are vital. Quality Improvement Collaboratives (QICs) are often used in healthcare settings to implement proven clinical interventions within local and national programs. The cost of this method of implementation, however, is cited as a barrier to use. This systematic review aims to identify and describe studies reporting on costs and cost-effectiveness of QICs when used to implement clinical guidelines in healthcare. METHODS:Multiple databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, EconLit and ProQuest) were searched for economic evaluations or cost studies of QICs in healthcare. Studies were included if they reported on economic evaluations or costs of QICs. Two authors independently reviewed citations and full text papers. Key characteristics of eligible studies were extracted, and their quality assessed against the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS). Evers CHEC-List was used for full economic evaluations. Cost-effectiveness findings were interpreted through the Johanna Briggs Institute 'three by three dominance matrix tool' to guide conclusions. Currencies were converted to United States dollars for 2018 using OECD and World Bank databases. RESULTS:Few studies reported on costs or economic evaluations of QICs despite their use in healthcare. Eight studies across multiple healthcare settings in acute and long-term care, community addiction treatment and chronic disease management were included. Five were considered good quality and favoured the establishment of QICs as cost-effective implementation methods. The cost savings to the healthcare setting identified in these studies outweighed the cost of the collaborative itself. CONCLUSIONS:Potential cost savings to the health care system in both acute and chronic conditions may be possible by applying QICs at scale. However, variations in effectiveness, costs and elements of the method within studies, indicated that caution is needed. Consistent identification of costs and description of the elements applied in QICs would better inform decisions for their use and may reduce perceived barriers. Lack of studies with negative findings may have been due to publication bias. Future research should include economic evaluations with societal perspectives of costs and savings and the cost-effectiveness of elements of QICs. TRIAL REGISTRATION:PROSPERO registration number: CRD42018107417.Lenore de la Perrelle, Gorjana Radisic, Monica Cations, Billingsley Kaambwa, Gaery Barbery and Kate Lave

Economic evaluation of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) for improving health outcomes in adult population: A systematic review protocol

INTRODUCTION:Insomnia is associated with a number of adverse consequences that place a substantial economic burden on individuals and society. Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is a promising intervention that can improve outcomes in people who suffer from insomnia. However, evidence of its cost-effectiveness remains unclear. In this study, we will systematically review studies that report on economic evaluations of CBT-I and investigate the potential economic benefit of CBT-I as a treatment for insomnia. METHODS AND ANALYSIS:The search will include studies that use full economic evaluation methods (ie, cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, cost-benefit, cost-consequences and cost-minimisation analysis) and those that apply partial economic evaluation approaches (ie, cost description, cost-outcome description and cost analysis). We will conduct a preliminary search in MEDLINE, Google Scholar, MedNar and ProQuest dissertation and theses to build the searching terms. A full search strategy using all identified keywords and index terms will then be undertaken in several databases including MEDLINE, Psychinfo, Proquest, Cochrane, Scopus, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Web of Science and EMBASE. We will adhere to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for protocol guidelines in this review. Only articles in the English language and those reporting on adult populations will be included. We will use standardised data extraction tools for economic evaluations to retrieve and synthesise information from selected studies into themes and summarised in a Joanna Briggs Institute dominance ranking matrix. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION:No formal ethics approval will be required as we will not be collecting primary data. Review findings will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication, workshops, conference presentations and a media release. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER:CRD42019133554.Andrea Natalie Natsky, Andrew Vakulin, Ching Li Chai-Coetzer, Leon Lack, R. Doug McEvoy, Billingsley Kaambw

Factors influencing early and late readmissions in Australian hospitalised patients and investigating role of admission nutrition status as a predictor of hospital readmissions: a cohort study

Objectives: Limited studies have identified predictors of early and late hospital readmissions in Australian healthcare settings. Some of these predictors may be modifiable through targeted interventions. A recent study has identified malnutrition as a predictor of readmissions in older patients but this has not been verified in a larger population. This study investigated what predictors are associated with early and late readmissions and determined whether nutrition status during index hospitalisation can be used as a modifiable predictor of unplanned hospital readmissions. Design: A retrospective cohort study. Setting: Two tertiary-level hospitals in Australia. Participants: All medical admissions ≥18 years over a period of 1 year. Outcomes: Primary objective was to determine predictors of early (0–7 days) and late (8–180 days) readmissions. Secondary objective was to determine whether nutrition status as determined by malnutrition universal screening tool (MUST) can be used to predict readmissions. Results: There were 11 750 (44.8%) readmissions within 6 months, with 2897 (11%) early and 8853 (33.8%) late readmissions. MUST was completed in 16.2% patients and prevalence of malnutrition during index admission was 31%. Malnourished patients had a higher risk of both early (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.73) and late readmissions (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.06 to 128). Weekend discharges were less likely to be associated with both early (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.91) and late readmissions (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.84 to 0.97). Indigenous Australians had a higher risk of early readmissions while those living alone had a higher risk of late readmissions. Patients ≥80 years had a lower risk of early readmissions while admission to intensive care unit was associated with a lower risk of late readmissions. Conclusions: Malnutrition is a strong predictor of unplanned readmissions while weekend discharges are less likely to be associated with readmissions. Targeted nutrition intervention may prevent unplanned hospital readmissions.Yogesh Sharma, Michelle Miller, Billingsley Kaambwa, Rashmi Shahi, Paul Hakendorf, Chris Horwood, Campbell Thompso

Short-term difference only in reported outcomes (PROMs) after anterior or posterior approach to total hip arthroplasty: a 4-year prospective multi-centre observational study

Published online: 17 February 2023Background: The direct anterior approach (DAA) in total hip arthroplasty (THA) may demonstrate better functional recovery compared to the posterior approach (PA). Methods: In this prospective multi-centre study, patient-related outcome measures (PROMs) and length of stay (LOS) were compared between DAA and PA THA patients. The Oxford Hip Score (OHS), EQ-5D-5L, pain and satisfaction scores were collected at four perioperative stages. Results: 337 DAA and 187 PA THAs were included. The OHS PROM was significantly better in the DAA group at 6 weeks post-operatively (OHS: 33 vs. 30, p = 0.02, EQ-5D-5L: 80 vs. 75, p = 0.03), but there were no differences at 6 months and at 1 year. EQ-5D-5L scores were similar between both groups at all time points. LOS as inpatient was significantly different, in favour of DAA [median 2 days (IQR 2–3) vs. PA 3 (IQR 2–4), p ≤ 0.0001]. Conclusions: Patients undergoing DAA THA have shorter LOS and report better short-term Oxford Hip Score PROMs at 6 weeks, but DAA did not convey long-term benefits over PA THA.D, Yin Lin, Anthony J. Samson, Matthew G. Cehic, Brigid Brown, Billingsley Kaambwa, Christopher Wilson, Hidde M. Kroon and Ruurd L. Jaarsm

Evaluation of the EQ-5D-5L, EQ-VAS stand-alone component and Oxford knee score in the Australian knee arthroplasty population utilising minimally important difference, concurrent validity, predictive validity and responsiveness

Published online: 10 May 2023Purpose: To evaluate the Oxford Knee Score (OKS), EQ-5D-5L utility index and EQ-5D visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) for health-related quality of life outcome measurement in patients undergoing elective total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgery. Methods: In this prospective multi-centre study, the OKS and EQ-5D-5L index scores were collected preoperatively, six weeks (6w) and six months (6 m) following TKA. The OKS, EQ-VAS and EQ-5D-5L index were evaluated for minimally important difference (MID), concurrent validity, predictive validity (Spearman's Rho of predicted and observed values from a generalised linear regression model (GLM)), responsiveness (effect size (ES) and standard response mean (SRM)). The MID for the individual patient was determined utilising two approaches; distribution-based and anchor-based. Results: 533 patients were analysed. The EQ-5D-5L utility index showed good concurrent validity with the OKS (r = 0.72 preoperatively, 0.65 at 6w and 0.69 at 6 m). Predictive validity for the EQ-5D-5L index was lower than OKS when regressed. Responsiveness was large for all fields at 6w for the EQ-5D-5L and OKS (EQ-5D-5L ES 0.87, SRM 0.84; OKS ES 1.35, SRM 1.05) and 6 m (EQ-5D-5L index ES 1.31, SRM 0.95; OKS ES 1.69, SRM 1.59). The EQ-VAS returned poorer results, at 6w an ES of 0.37 (small) and SRM of 0.36 (small). At 6 m, the EQ-VAS had an ES of 0.59 (moderate) and SRM of 0.47 (small). It, however, had similar predictive validity to the OKS, and better than the EQ-5D-5L index. MID determined using anchor approach, was shown that for OKS at 6 weeks it was 8.84 ± 9.28 and at 6 months 13.37 ± 9.89. For the EQ-5D-5L index at 6 weeks MID was 0.23 ± 0.39, and at 6 months 0.26 ± 0.36. Conclusions: The EQ-5D-5L index score and the OKS demonstrate good concurrent validity. The EQ-5D-5L index demonstrated lower predictive validity at 6w, and 6 m than the OKS, and both PROMs had adequate responsiveness. The EQ-VAS had poorer responsiveness but better predictive validity than the EQ-5D-5L index. This article includes MID estimates for the Australian knee arthroplasty population.D-Yin Lin, Tim Soon Cheok, Billingsley Kaambwa, Anthony J. Samson, Craig Morrison, Teik Chan, Hidde M. Kroon and Ruurd L. Jaarsm