Health technology assessment : HTA
-
Health Technol Assess · Sep 2006
Review Meta AnalysisEtanercept and infliximab for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis: a systematic review and economic evaluation.
To evaluate the clinical effectiveness, safety, tolerability and cost-effectiveness of etanercept and infliximab for the treatment of active and progressive psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in patients who have inadequate response to standard treatment, including disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy. ⋯ The limited data available indicated that etanercept and infliximab are efficacious in the treatment of PsA with beneficial effects on both joint and psoriasis symptoms and on functional status. Short-term data indicated that etanercept can delay joint disease progression, but long-term data are needed. There are no controlled data as yet to indicate that infliximab can delay joint disease progression. Treatment with both etanercept and infliximab for 12 weeks demonstrated a significant degree of efficacy, with no statistically significant difference between them. For both drugs, adverse events were common with mild injection/infusion reactions being the main treatment-related effect. The York model indicated that etanercept is more cost-effective than infliximab as it has a lower cost with little difference in outcomes. The cost-effectiveness of etanercept is also sensitive to assumptions made about the extent of disease progression when patients are responding to therapy. The number of years for which a patient can be safely on biologicals is uncertain so these results should be considered with caution. Further research should include long-term controlled trials to confirm benefits, review adverse events and to explore further the implications of biologic therapy.
-
Health Technol Assess · Sep 2006
Comparative StudyThe cost-effectiveness of testing for hepatitis C in former injecting drug users.
To evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of testing for hepatitis C (HCV) among former injecting drug users (IDUs). ⋯ Case-finding for hepatitis C is likely to be considered cost-effective by NHS commissioners. Although there remains considerable uncertainty, it appears unlikely that cost-effectiveness would exceed the levels considered acceptable. Further improvements in the effectiveness of treatments to slow or halt disease progression are likely to improve the cost-effectiveness of case-finding. Case-finding is likely to be most cost-effective if targeted at people whose HCV disease is probably more advanced. Further empirical work is required to specify, in practice, different approaches to case-finding in appropriate settings and to evaluate their effectiveness and cost-effectiveness directly.
-
Health Technol Assess · Aug 2006
Review Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyAn evaluation of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of pulmonary artery catheters in patient management in intensive care: a systematic review and a randomised controlled trial.
To evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of managing critically ill patients in adult, general intensive care with or without pulmonary artery catheters (PACs). ⋯ Clinical management of critically ill patients with a PAC, as currently practised in the UK, neither improves hospital survival for adult, general intensive care patients nor reduces length of stay in hospital. The lack of demonstrable benefit from a device previously believed to be beneficial could be explained by statistical chance, by misinterpretation of PAC-derived data, by ineffective treatment strategies based on data correctly interpreted using the current paradigm or by subsequent inaction following insertion of the device. It is also possible that detailed data on haemodynamics, however used, cannot modify the disease process sufficiently to influence disease outcome. The economic evaluation, using decision analysis techniques rather than conventional hypothesis testing, suggests that the withdrawal of the PAC from routine clinical practice in the NHS would be considered cost-effective in the current decision-making climate, and might result in lives or life-years being saved at modest cost. With the declining use of PACs in the UK and the findings of this report indicating no overall benefit from management with a PAC, it should now be possible to examine protocolised management with a PAC in selected groups of critically ill patients against appropriate controls, something that was difficult while PACs were the considered standard of care.
-
Health Technol Assess · Aug 2006
Review Comparative StudyAdefovir dipivoxil and pegylated interferon alfa-2a for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B: a systematic review and economic evaluation.
To assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of adefovirdipivoxil (ADV) and pegylated interferon alfa-2a (PEG) for the treatment of adults with chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB). ⋯ ADV and PEG are associated with significant improvements in a number of biochemical, virological and histological outcomes in both HBeAg-positive and -negative patients. For a small proportion of patients this is associated with resolution of infection. For another proportion it leads to remission and a reduced risk of progressing to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver transplant and death. For others who do not respond or who relapse, retreatment with another agent is necessary. The results of our cost-effectiveness analysis demonstrate that incremental costs per QALY for a range of comparisons were between 5994 pounds and 16,569 pounds and within the range considered by NHS decision-makers to represent good value for money. When subjected to sensitivity analysis, most costs per QALY estimates remained under 30,000 pounds. Further RCT evidence of the effectiveness of anti-viral treatment is required, particularly for subgroups of patients with different genotypes, patients with cirrhosis, patients from different ethnic groups, patients with co-infections (e.g. HIV, HCV) and co-morbidities, liver transplant patients and children and adolescents.
-
Health Technol Assess · Aug 2006
ReviewA review of the evidence on the effects and costs of implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy in different patient groups, and modelling of cost-effectiveness and cost-utility for these groups in a UK context.
To update the systematic review evidence on the effectiveness, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and cost-effectiveness of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs); compilation of new data on the service provision in the UK; and on the clinical characteristics, survival, quality of life and costs of ICD patients in the UK, and a new cost-effectiveness model using both international RCT and UK-specific data. ⋯ The evidence of short- to medium-term patient benefit from ICDs is strong but cost-effectiveness modelling indicates that the extent of that benefit is probably not sufficient to make the technology cost-effective as used currently in the UK. One reason is the high rates of postimplantation hospitalisation. Better patient targeting and efforts to reduce the need for such hospitalisation may improve cost-effectiveness. Further cost-effectiveness modelling, underpinned by an improved ICD database with reliable long-term follow-up, is required. The absence of a robust measure of the incidence of sudden cardiac death is noted and this may be an area where further organisational changes with improved data collection would help.