The cost of illness of atrial fibrillation: a systematic review of the recent literature.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, its prevalence increasing markedly with age. Atrial fibrillation is strongly associated with increased risk of morbidity, including stroke and thromboembolism. There is growing awareness of the economic burden of AF due to ageing populations and constrained public finances. A systematic review was performed (1990-2009). Cost studies for AF or atrial flutter were included; acute-onset and post-operative AF were excluded. Total, direct, and indirect costs were extracted. Of 875 records retrieved, 37 studies were included. The cost of managing individual AF patients is high. Direct-cost estimates ranged from $2000 to 14,200 per patient-year in the USA and from €450 to 3000 in Europe. This is comparable with other chronic conditions such as diabetes. The direct cost of AF represented 0.9-2.4% of the UK health-care budget in 2000 and had almost doubled over the previous 5 years. Inpatient care accounted for 50-70% of annual direct costs. In the USA, AF hospitalizations alone cost ∼$6.65 billion in 2005. In this first systematic review of the economic burden of AF, hospitalizations consistently represented the major cost driver. Costs and hospitalizations attributable to AF have increased markedly over recent decades and are expected to increase in future due to ageing populations.

Fracture liaison services for the evaluation and management of patients with osteoporotic fracture: a cost-effectiveness evaluation based on data collected over 8 years of service provision.

SUMMARY: The cost-effectiveness of Fracture Liaison Services (FLSs) for prevention of secondary fracture in osteoporosis patients in the United Kingdom (UK), and the cost associated with their widespread adoption, were evaluated. An estimated 18 fractures were prevented and £21,000 saved per 1,000 patients. Setup across the UK would cost an estimated £9.7 million. INTRODUCTION: Only 11% to 28% of patients with a fragility fracture receive osteoporosis treatment in the UK. FLSs provide an efficient means to identify patients and are endorsed by the Department of Health but have not been widely adopted. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of FLSs in the UK and the cost associated with their widespread adoption. METHODS: A cost-effectiveness and budget-impact model was developed, utilising detailed audit data collected by the West Glasgow FLS. RESULTS: For a hypothetical cohort of 1,000 fragility-fracture patients (740 requiring treatment), 686 received treatment in the FLS compared with 193 in usual care. Assessments and osteoporosis treatments cost an additional £83,598 and £206,544, respectively, in the FLS; 18 fractures (including 11 hip fractures) were prevented, giving an overall saving of £21,000. Setup costs for widespread adoption of FLSs across the UK were estimated at £9.7 million. CONCLUSIONS: FLSs are cost-effective for the prevention of further fractures in fragility-fracture patients. The cost of widespread adoption of FLS across the UK is small in comparison with other service provision and would be expected to result in important benefits in fractures avoided and reduced hospital bed occupancy.

Economic evaluation of dabigatran etexilate for the prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients aged over 75 years or with moderate renal impairment undergoing total knee or hip replacement.

Oral dabigatran etexilate is indicated for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing total knee replacement or total hip replacement. We investigated the cost-effectiveness of the 150 mg once daily (od) dose recommended for patients aged over 75 or with moderate renal impairment, from a United Kingdom National Health Service perspective. Dabigatran etexilate was compared with subcutaneous enoxaparin 40 mg od, using a decision model. Risks for VTE and bleeding were derived from subgroup analyses of the phase III trials. Dabigatran etexilate was less costly than enoxaparin; cost savings varied from pound62 to pound274 (base-case analyses) and were primarily due to differences in administration costs. Results were robust across a range of sensitivity analyses. Dabigatran etexilate 150 mg od is cost saving compared with enoxaparin 40 mg od in patients aged over 75years and in patients with moderate renal impairment, with comparable efficacy and safety.

Cost-effectiveness of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in total hip and knee replacement surgery: the evolving application of health economic modelling over 20 years.

OBJECTIVES: In the last two decades, there has been considerable evolution of methods for cost-effectiveness modelling. Some of the first models were developed in the area of venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis. Hence, this area can serve as an important example to illustrate evolving standards. Our objectives are to document evolving methodology by describing VTE models, assess their critical strengths and weaknesses, and inform future advances for models in this therapeutic area. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A systematic review of economic models of primary VTE prevention following hip and knee replacement surgery was undertaken. Electronic searches of PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane library, and grey literature were conducted (1985-2006). Reference lists of included articles and reviews were examined for relevant studies. RESULTS: Twenty-nine cost-effectiveness models were identified. Nineteen other cost-effectiveness analyses were excluded because they were not model-based; 16 were simple cost calculations and three were analyses of resource use data collected alongside clinical trials. The majority of models (24) were constructed as decision trees, frequently utilising previously published model structures, with some adaptation for new comparators, and/or addition of relevant events omitted by earlier models (e.g., bleeding due to prophylactic treatment). Later models have included Markov processes to model potential long-term consequences of VTE (recurrent VTE and post-thrombotic syndrome) over longer time horizons. Systematic identification of clinical evidence and more sophisticated analysis methods (e.g., Bayesian mixed-treatment comparisons and probabilistic sensitivity analyses) have recently been introduced. CONCLUSIONS: Model structures have evolved substantially in this highly studied therapeutic area, with improvements made to the model structure, the comprehensiveness of clinical evidence included, and the underlying calculation methodology.