Journal of clinical gastroenterology
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J. Clin. Gastroenterol. · Feb 2006
Defining a clinically significant adverse impact of diagnosing Barrett's esophagus.
Diagnosing a potentially life-threatening disease may adversely affect patient quality of life (QOL) independent of biologic effects. It is unknown whether the mere diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus (BE) adversely impacts patients' preferences (health-state utility) sufficiently to impair the cost-effectiveness of endoscopic screening for esophageal adenocarcinoma. ⋯ The decrement in utility caused by diagnosing BE may be substantial without compromising the cost-effectiveness of endoscopic screening.