Value in health : the journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research
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Comparative Study
Comparing the EQ-5D and the SF-6D descriptive systems to assess their ceiling effects in the US general population.
The EuroQol (EQ-5D) and SF-6D (derived from the SF-12) were compared to assess any ceiling effect in the EQ-5D and the SF-6D descriptive systems. In addition, the Physical Component Summary (PCS-12), the Mental Component Summary (MCS-12) and the EuroQol Visual Analog Scale (EQ-VAS) were compared on their discriminative ability to detect differences among individuals with different morbidities and sociodemographic characteristics. ⋯ Unlike the EQ-5D descriptive system, the SF-6D descriptive system derived from the SF-12 does not seem to have a ceiling effect. Nevertheless, the SF-6D does not discriminate between individuals with different morbidities who report full health on the EQ-5D, as does the PCS-12 and the EQ-VAS.
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Managing meningococcal disease in the United States: Hospital case characteristics and costs by age.
Meningococcal disease occurs worldwide. Approximately 1400 to 2800 cases are reported in the United States annually. The goal of this analysis was to examine hospitalized cases of meningitis and meningococcemia to identify case characteristics, resource use, and inpatient care costs. ⋯ The presence of meningococcemia results in a greater death rate, longer length of stay, and increased care costs. Meningococcal disease has substantial economic, as well as profound clinical consequences for patients of all ages.
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To explore the cost-effectiveness of fluticasone propionate (FP) for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), we estimated costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) over 3 years, based on an economic appraisal of a previously reported clinical trial (Inhaled Steroids in Obstructive Lung Disease in Europe [ISOLDE]). ⋯ Previous analyses of the ISOLDE study showed significant improvement on disease-specific health status measures and a trend toward a survival advantage for treatment with FP. This analysis shows that joint considerations of quality of life and survival result in a substantial increase in QALYs favoring treatment with FP. Based on these data, the inhaled corticosteroid FP appears cost-effective for the treatment of COPD. Confirmation or refutation of this result may be achieved once the Towards a Revolution in COPD Health (TORCH) study reports, a large randomized controlled trial powered to detect mortality changes associated with the use of FP alone, or in combination with salmeterol, which is also collecting resource use and utility data suitable for estimating cost-effectiveness.