Controlled CMS Data Demonstrates a Cost and Clinical Advantage for Hyperbaric Oxygen for Radiation Cystitis.

Introduction: Increasing cancer survivorship, in part due to new radiation treatments, has created a larger population at risk for delayed complications of treatment. Radiation cystitis continues to occur despite targeted radiation techniques. Materials and Methods: To investigate value-based care applying hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) to treat delayed radiation cystitis, we reviewed public-access Medicare data from 3,309 patients from Oct 1, 2014, through Dec 31, 2019. Using novel statistical modeling, we compared cost and clinical effectiveness in a hyperbaric oxygen group to a control group receiving conventional therapies. Results: Treatment in the hyperbaric group provided a 36% reduction in urinary bleeding, a 78% reduced frequency of blood transfusion for hematuria, a 31% reduction in endoscopic procedures, and fewer hospitalizations when study patients were compared to control. There was a 53% reduction in mortality and reduced unadjusted Medicare costs of $5,059 per patient within the first year after completion of HBO2 treatment per patient. When at least 40 treatments were provided, cost savings per patient increased to $11,548 for the HBO2 study group compared to the control group. This represents a 37% reduction in Medicare spending for the HBO2-treated group. We also validate a dose-response curve effect with a complete course of 40 or more HBO2 treatments having better clinical outcomes than those treated with fewer treatments. Conclusion: These data support previous studies that demonstrate clinical benefits now with cost- effectiveness when adjunctive HBO2 treatments are added to routine interventions. The methodology provides a comparative group selected without bias. It also provides validation of statistical modeling techniques that may be valuable in future analysis, complementary to more traditional methods.

Drug utilization reviews to reduce inappropriate drug use and pharmaceutical costs in inpatients based on diagnosis-related group data.

BACKGROUND: Irrational pharmacotherapy and increasing pharmacy costs remain major concerns in healthcare systems. Pharmacists are expected to employ diagnosis-related group (DRG) data to analyse inpatient pharmacy utilization. OBJECTIVE: This project aimed to pilot an efficient pharmacist-led programme to analyse factors related to pharmacy expenses, evaluate the rational use of drugs in batch processing, and make further interventions based on DRG data. METHODS: Patients from the OB25 (caesarean section without comorbidities or complications) DRG were selected in 2018, and the most relevant factors were identified through statistical analysis. Interventions were implemented by sending monthly reports on prescribing data and drug review results for the same DRGs to the department starting in 2019. Pre-post comparisons were conducted to demonstrate changes in pharmacy costs and appropriateness at a tertiary teaching hospital with 2,300 beds in China. RESULTS: A total of 1,110 patients were identified from the OB25 DRG data in 2018. Multivariate linear analysis indicated that the number of items prescribed and wards substantially influenced pharmacy expenditure. Drugs labelled as vital, essential, and non-essential revealed that 46.6% of total pharmacy costs were spent on non-essential drugs, whereas 38.7% were spent on vital drugs. The use of inappropriate pharmaceuticals and drug items was substantially reduced, and the average pharmacy cost after intervention was 336.7 RMB in 2020. The benefit-cost ratio of the programme was 9.86. CONCLUSION: Interventions based on DRG data are highly efficient and feasible for reducing inpatient pharmacy costs and non-essential drug use.

Savings from the introduction of BPaL and BPaLM regimens at the country level.

BACKGROUND: In 2022, the WHO recommended the 6-month regimens BPaL (bedaquiline + pretomanid + linezolid) and BPaLM (BPaL + moxifloxacin) as treatment options for most forms of drug-resistant TB. SLASH-TB estimates the cost-saving and cost-effectiveness for the healthcare system and patients when a country switches from current standard-of-care treatment regimens to BPaL/BPaLM. METHODOLOGY: Country data from national TB programmes (NTP) are used to calculate the costs for all regimens and treatment outcomes. Where BPaL/BPaLM is not currently used, clinical trial outcomes data are used to estimate cost-effectiveness. DALYs are calculated using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database. RESULTS: We present the results of four countries that have used the tool and shared their data. When shorter and longer regimens are replaced with BPaL/BPaLM, the savings per patient treated in Pakistan, the Philippines, South Africa, and Ukraine are $746, $478, $757, and $2,636, respectively. An increased number of patients would be successfully treated with BPaL/BPaLM regimens, with 411, 1,025, 1,371 and 829 lives saved and 20,179, 27,443, 33,384 and 21,924 DALYs averted annually in the four countries, respectively. CONCLUSION: Through BPaL/BPaLM regimens, drug-resistant TB treatment has become more effective, shorter, less burdensome for patients, cheaper for both health systems and patients, and saves more lives.

CONTEXTE: En 2022, l'OMS a préconisé l'utilisation des schémas thérapeutiques (bedaquiline + pretomanid + linezolid) et BPaLM (BPaL + moxifloxacin), d'une durée de 6 mois, comme alternatives pour traiter la plupart des formes de TB résistante aux médicaments. SLASH-TB a réalisé une estimation des économies et de la rentabilité pour le système de santé et les patients lorsqu'un pays décide de passer des schémas thérapeutiques standards actuels au BPaL/BPaLM. MÉTHODOLOGIE: Les programmes nationaux de lutte contre la TB (NTP) utilisent les données nationales pour évaluer les coûts des différents schémas thérapeutiques et des résultats des traitements. Si le BPaL/BPaLM n'est pas utilisé actuellement, les données des essais cliniques sont utilisées pour estimer le rapport coût-efficacité. Les années de vie ajustées sur l'incapacité (DALYs, pour l'anglais « disability-adjusted life-years ¼) sont calculées à l'aide de la base de données Global Burden of Disease (GBD). RÉSULTATS: Nous présentons les résultats de quatre pays qui ont utilisé l'outil et partagé leurs données. Lorsque les schémas plus courts et plus longs sont remplacés par BPaL/BPaLM, les économies par patient traité au Pakistan, aux Philippines, en Afrique du Sud et en Ukraine sont respectivement de 746, 478, 757 et 2 636 dollars. L'utilisation des schémas BPaL/BPaLM permettrait de traiter un plus grand nombre de patients avec succès, ce qui sauverait respectivement 411, 1 025, 1 371 et 829 vies et éviterait 20 179, 27 443, 33 384 et 21 924 DALYs par an dans les quatre pays. CONCLUSION: Les schémas BPaL/BPaLM ont révolutionné le traitement de la tuberculose pharmacorésistante en le rendant plus efficace, plus rapide, moins contraignant pour les patients, plus économique pour les systèmes de santé et les patients, et en sauvant un plus grand nombre de vies.

Modelling the opportunity for cost-savings or patient access with biosimilar adalimumab and tocilizumab: a European perspective.

OBJECTIVES: Biosimilars improve patient access by providing cost-effective treatment options. This study assessed the potential for savings and expanded patient access with increased use of two biosimilar disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs): (a) approved adalimumab biosimilars and (b) the first tocilizumab biosimilar, representing an established biosimilar field and a recent biosimilar entrant in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom (UK). METHODS: Separate ex-ante analyses were conducted for each country, parameterized using country-specific list prices, unit volumes annually, and market shares for each therapy. Discounting scenarios of 10%, 20%, and 30% were tested for tocilizumab. Outputs included direct cost-savings associated with drug acquisition or the incremental number of patients that could be treated if savings were redirected. Two biosimilar conversion scenarios were tested. RESULTS: Savings associated with a 100% conversion to adalimumab biosimilar ranged from €10.5 to €187 million (UK and Germany, respectively), or an additional 1,096 to 19,454 patients that could be treated using the cost-savings. Introduction of a tocilizumab biosimilar provided savings up to €29.3 million in the most conservative scenario. Exclusive use of tocilizumab biosimilars (at a 30% discount) could increase savings to €28.8 to €113 million or expand access to an additional 43% of existing tocilizumab users across countries. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the benefits that can be realized through increased biosimilar adoption, not only in an untapped tocilizumab market, but also through incremental increases in well-established markets such as adalimumab. As healthcare budgets continue to face downwards pressure globally, strategies to increase biosimilar market share could prove useful to help manage financial constraints.

Impact of reducing iodinated intravenous contrast volume in brain CT on image diagnostic quality.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether reducing the volume of intravenous iodinated contrast material injected during brain computed tomography (CT) provides reliable and accurate imaging without compromising diagnostic accuracy. METHODS: This prospective study enrolled patients undergoing enhanced brain CT at a single tertiary hospital. Subjects who agreed to participate received a reduced dose of 60 ml contrast. The images were compared to an age and gender-matched control group who received the conventional 80 cc dose. Neuroradiologists assessed image quality and interpretation using a 5-point Likert scale with six specific domains. Based on ICC, inter-rater reliability was high at 0.873. Multiple linear regression predicted overall diagnostic accuracy based on contrast dose, age, and gender. Visual Grading Characteristics (VGC) analysis was also performed to quantify regional brain enhancement differences between the two contrast groups. RESULTS: The study included 47 patients in the 60 cc group and 55 in the 80 cc control group. The results showed the 80 cc group had significantly higher enhancement ratings compared to 60 cc for all six structures assessed. The differences between groups ranged from -0.241 to -0.433 (p < 0.001) on the 5-point scale.The VGC analysis confirmed significantly greater brain parenchymal enhancement in the 80 cc group compared to the 60 cc group. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that reducing the intravenous iodinated contrast material volume during brain CT from 80 cc to 60 cc leads to a statistically significant reduction in image quality and diagnostic accuracy. Further research with larger cohorts is needed to confirm these findings and assess the clinical impact of these differences.

A health economic pilot study comparing two diabetic retinopathy screening strategies.

To compare two screening strategies for diabetic retinopathy (DR), and to determine the health-economic impact of including optical coherence tomography (OCT) in a regular DR screening. This cross-sectional study included a cohort of patients (≥ 18 years) with type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus (T1D or T2D) from a pilot DR screening program at Oslo University Hospital, Norway. A combined screening strategy where OCT was performed in addition to fundus photography for all patients, was conducted on this cohort and compared to our existing sequential screening strategy. In the sequential screening strategy, OCT was performed on a separate day only if fundus photography indicated diabetic macular edema (DME). The presence of diabetic maculopathy on fundus photography and DME on OCT was determined by two medical retina specialists. Based on the prevalence rate of diabetic maculopathy and DME from the pilot, we determined the health-economic impact of the two screening strategies. The study included 180 eyes of 90 patients. Twenty-seven eyes of 18 patients had diabetic maculopathy, and of these, 7 eyes of 6 patients revealed DME on OCT. When diabetic maculopathy was absent on fundus photographs, OCT could not reveal DME. Accordingly, 18 patients (20%) with diabetic maculopathy would have needed an additional examination with OCT in the sequential screening strategy, 6 (33%) of whom would have had DME on OCT. In an extended healthcare perspective analysis, the cost of the sequential screening strategy was higher than the cost of the combined screening strategy. There was a weak association between diabetic maculopathy on fundus photography and DME on OCT. The health economic analysis suggests that including OCT as a standard test in DR screening could potentially be cost-saving.

Assessment of the utilization of real-time prescription benefits for patient cost savings within an outpatient setting.

Background: This study evaluates the impact of Real-Time Prescription Benefits (RTPB), a tool integrated into electronic health records (EHRs), on patient out-of-pocket costs in an academic institution. RTPB provides prescribers with alternative, less expensive medications based on insurance plans. The primary measure was cost-savings, defined as the difference between the out-of-pocket cost of the prescribed medication and its alternative. Methods: A retrospective analysis of prescriptions from outpatient clinics in a university-based health system was conducted between May 2020 and July 2021. Prescriptions were analyzed at the 2nd level of the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system. Costs were standardized to a 30-day supply. Standardized cost and total cost per prescription, and overall savings for the top 20 medication classes at the 2nd ATC level were calculated. The overall impact of RTPB was estimated based on selecting the least expensive alternative suggested by RTPB. Results: The study found that RTPB information was provided for 22% of prescriptions, with suggested alternatives for 1.26%. Among prescriptions with an alternative selected, the standardized average cost saving was $38.83. The study realized $15,416 in patient total cost savings. If the least expensive RTPB-suggested alternative were chosen for all prescriptions, an estimated $276,386 could have been saved. Psychoanaleptic and psycholeptic medications were the most prescribed with an alternative, with most savings in specialty drugs like anthelmintic and immunostimulant medications. Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of RTPB in reducing patient costs. It reports patient cost-savings with RTPB in prescribing decisions. Future research could explore the impact of RTPB on medication adherence using pharmacy claims data.

Potential Cost Savings with 60-day Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Treatment in Chronic Axial Low Back Pain.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic axial low back pain (CLBP) that is not responsive to medication management or physical therapy often requires significant clinical intervention. Several interventional pain management options exist, including a 60-day peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) treatment. This economic evaluation investigated the potential for projected cost savings associated with prioritizing 60-day PNS treatment relative to a 'standard of care' (SOC) approach (where patients do not have access to 60-day PNS). METHODS: A decision tree (supervised machine learning) model tracked treatment progression across two hypothetical cohorts of US patients with CLBP in whom non-interventional options were ineffective (Cohort A: treatment starting with 60-day PNS followed by any additional interventional and surgical treatments versus Cohort B: standard of care interventional and surgical treatments without access to 60-day PNS). Treatment efficacy estimates were based on published success rates. Conditional on treatment failure, up to two additional interventions were considered within the 12-month time frame in both cohorts. SOC treatment options included epidural injection, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), basivertebral nerve ablation (BVNA), PNS permanent implant (PNS-PI), spinal cord stimulator (SCS) trial/implant, and spinal fusion surgery. Treatment choice probabilities in both cohort algorithms were based on clinician interviews. Costs were based on national Medicare reimbursement levels in the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) setting. Savings reflected the difference in projected costs between cohorts. A Monte Carlo simulation and sensitivity analyses were conducted to generate confidence intervals and identify important inputs. RESULTS: The treatment algorithm which prioritized initial 60-day PNS treatment was projected to save $8056 (95% CI $6112-$9981) per patient during the first year of interventional treatment relative to the SOC approach. CONCLUSIONS: Use of the 60-day PNS treatment as an initial interventional treatment in patients with CLBP may result in significant savings for Medicare. Projected savings may be even larger for commercial payers covering non-Medicare patients.

Evaluation of a Semi-Automated Wound-Halving Algorithm for Split-Wound Design Studies: A Step towards Enhanced Wound-Healing Assessment.

Background: Chronic leg ulcers present a global challenge in healthcare, necessitating precise wound measurement for effective treatment evaluation. This study is the first to validate the "split-wound design" approach for wound studies using objective measures. We further improved this relatively new approach and combined it with a semi-automated wound measurement algorithm. Method: The algorithm is capable of plotting an objective halving line that is calculated by splitting the bounding box of the wound surface along the longest side. To evaluate this algorithm, we compared the accuracy of the subjective wound halving of manual operators of different backgrounds with the algorithm-generated halving line and the ground truth, in two separate rounds. Results: The median absolute deviation (MAD) from the ground truth of the manual wound halving was 2% and 3% in the first and second round, respectively. On the other hand, the algorithm-generated halving line showed a significantly lower deviation from the ground truth (MAD = 0.3%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The data suggest that this wound-halving algorithm is suitable and reliable for conducting wound studies. This innovative combination of a semi-automated algorithm paired with a unique study design offers several advantages, including reduced patient recruitment needs, accelerated study planning, and cost savings, thereby expediting evidence generation in the field of wound care. Our findings highlight a promising path forward for improving wound research and clinical practice.

Benefits of Neurosurgical Teleconsults in the Management of Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Transfers and Transportation Cost Reduction.

BACKGROUND: Our study explores the efficacy and economic benefits of neurosurgical teleconsultations in managing intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), focusing on reducing unnecessary patient transfers and associated costs. METHODS: We conducted a cost-savings analysis at our institution of a previously published pilot study involving a cohort of patients with ICH who were potential candidates for airlift to our tertiary care center but instead received neurosurgical consultation via teleconsultation to avoid the transfer. Data on patient demographics, distances, and costs were collected and analyzed to assess the economic impact of teleconsultations. RESULTS: The cohort comprised 14 patients; we noted significant cost savings from avoiding interhospital transfers, ranging from $84,346.52 to $120,495.03 per patient. Teleconsultations facilitated immediate, collaborative decision-making between healthcare providers at community hospitals and a tertiary care center, reducing the need for expensive air transportation and unnecessary hospital transfers. CONCLUSIONS: Neurosurgical teleconsultations offer a cost-effective alternative to traditional patient transfer methods for ICH management, providing substantial economic benefits while maintaining high physician and patient-family satisfaction levels. This study underscores the potential of our teleneurosurgery program to significantly reduce costs by reducing unnecessary financial burdens on patients' families and healthcare systems.

A budget impact analysis of a digital monitoring solution in patients treated with oral anticancer agents: a medico-economic analysis of the randomized phase 3 CAPRI trial.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Remote patient monitoring (RPM) has demonstrated numerous benefits in cancer care, including improved quality of life, overall survival, and reduced medical resource use. This study presents a budget impact analysis of a nurse navigator-led RPM program, based on the CAPRI trial, from the perspective of the French national health insurance (NHI). The study aimed to assess the impact of the program on medical resource utilization and costs. METHODS: Medical resource utilization data were collected from both medico-administrative sources and patient-reported questionnaires. Costs were calculated by applying unit costs to resource utilization and estimating the average monthly cost per patient. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to explore different perspectives and varying resource consumption. RESULTS: The analysis included 559 cancer patients participating in the CAPRI program. From the NHI perspective, the program resulted in average savings of €377 per patient over the 4.58-month follow-up period, mainly due to reduced hospitalizations. The all-payers perspective yielded even greater savings of €504 per patient. Sensitivity analyses supported the robustness of the findings. CONCLUSION: The budget impact analysis demonstrated that the CAPRI RPM program was associated with cost savings from the perspective of the NHI. The program's positive impact on reducing hospitalizations outweighed the additional costs associated with remote monitoring. These findings highlight the potential economic benefits of implementing RPM programs in cancer care. Further research is warranted to assess the long-term cost-effectiveness and scalability of such programs in the real-world settings.

Does an allied health transdisciplinary stroke assessment save time, improve quality of care, and save costs? Results of a pre-/post- clinical study.

PURPOSE: Demand for stroke services is increasing. To save time and costs, stroke care could be reorganised using a transdisciplinary assessment model embracing overlapping allied health professional skills. The study compares transdisciplinary assessment to discipline-specific allied health assessment on an acute stroke unit, by evaluating assessment time, quality of care, and cost implications. METHOD: The pre-/post- clinical study used non-randomised groups and 3-month follow-up after hospital admission. Patients with confirmed/suspected stroke received usual discipline-specific allied health assessment (pre-implementation phase) or the novel transdisciplinary assessment (post-implementation phase). Staff/student assessment times (primary outcome) and medical record data (secondary outcomes) were collected. Time differences were estimated using multivariable linear regression controlling for confounding factors. Cost minimisation and sensitivity analyses estimated change in hospital resource use. FINDINGS: When the transdisciplinary assessment was used (N = 116), compared to usual assessment (N = 63), the average time saving was 37.6 min (95% CI -47.5, -27.7; p < 0.001) for staff and 62.2 min (95% CI -74.1, -50.3; p < 0.001) for students. The median number of allied health occasions of service reduced from 8 (interquartile range 4-23) to 5 (interquartile range 3-10; p = 0.011). There were no statistically significant or clinically important changes in patient safety, outcomes or stroke guideline adherence. Improved efficiency was associated with an estimated cost saving of $379.45 per patient (probabilistic 95% CI -487.15, -271.48). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Transdisciplinary stroke assessment has potential for reorganising allied health services to save assessment time and reduce healthcare costs. The transdisciplinary stroke assessment could be considered for implementation in other stroke services.

Estimating Tiotropium Wasted Doses After Adding Revefenacin to an Inpatient Formulary: A Single-Center Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Revefenacin is a once-daily nebulized long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA). Revefenacin is supplied as single-use nebulized vials, which may be preferable and less costly for hospital and health-system pharmacies to dispense versus multidose tiotropium inhalers. Estimates of LAMA multidose inhaler wasted doses remains unknown. Methods: This was a single-center descriptive cross-sectional study conducted between January 1 2021 and December 31 2021. Adult patients 18 years and older admitted to a 500-bed academic medical center in the southern United States and were ordered multidose tiotropium packages or single-use revefenacin vials during the study period were included. Results: Among 602 inpatients, there were 705 LAMA orders: 541 tiotropium (76.7%) and 164 revefenacin (23.3%). Four hundred ninety-five tiotropium orders (91.5%) wasted between 20% and 90% of multidose packages. Approximately $24,000 tiotropium doses were wasted versus single-use revefenacin vials. Conclusion: Multidose inhalers of tiotropium dispensed to hospitalized patients contributed to wasted doses compared to nebulized single-use revefenacin vials. Opportunities exist to minimize wasted doses of multidose long-acting inhalers dispensed to hospitalized patients.

Implementation of a Tenecteplase Protocol for Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke in a Health System.

Purpose. Alteplase is the standard of care for intravenous thrombolytic treatment of acute ischemic stroke, but recent evidence suggests that tenecteplase may be as safe and efficacious. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the direct cost savings, safety, and efficacy outcomes following the implementation of a tenecteplase protocol for acute ischemic stroke in the emergency departments within a health system. Methods. A multicenter retrospective medical record review was performed for 4 months prior to protocol implementation on patients who received alteplase and for 4 months post-implementation on patients who received tenecteplase. The primary outcome was the direct cost difference associated with tenecteplase. Secondary outcomes included reduction in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale 24 hours after thrombolytic therapy, door-to-needle time, symptom onset to intravenous thrombolysis time, incidence of adverse effects, and death. Results. Pre-implementation, 102 received alteplase and post-implementation, 117 received tenecteplase. Four months of utilization of tenecteplase resulted in direct cost savings of $209,476.80 for the health system, which translates to roughly $2,000 per patient. Reduction in the National Institutes for Health Stroke Scale were similar between the two groups with -3.96 in alteplase and -3.18 in tenecteplase (p = 0.952). Median door-to-needle time was 44.5 minutes in alteplase and 49 minutes in tenecteplase. Adverse events occurred in 19 patients in alteplase and 19 in tenecteplase (p = 0.573). Death occurred in 9 patients in alteplase and 14 patients in tenecteplase (p = 0.376). Conclusion. A tenecteplase protocol was successfully implemented in the healthcare system resulting in direct cost savings with no significant differences in adverse events.

Disability and costs of IHD attributable to the consumption of trans-fatty acids in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the disability and costs of the Brazilian Unified Health System for IHD attributable to trans-fatty acid (TFA) consumption in 2019. DESIGN: This ecological study used secondary data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019 to estimate the years lived with disability from IHD attributable to TFA in Brazil in 2019. Data on direct costs (purchasing power parity: 1 Int$ = R$ 2·280) were obtained from the Hospital and Ambulatory Information Systems of the Brazilian Unified Health System. Moreover, the total costs in each state were divided by the resident population in 2019 and multiplied by 10 000 inhabitants. The relationship between the socio-demographic index, disease and economic burden was investigated. SETTING: Brazil and its twenty-seven states. PARTICIPANTS: Adults aged ≥ 25 years of both sexes. RESULTS: IHD attributable to TFA consumption resulted in 11 165 years lived with disability (95 % uncertainty interval 932­18 462) in 2019 in Brazil. A total of Int$ 54 546 227 (95 % uncertainty interval 4 505 792­85 561 810) was spent in the Brazilian Unified Health System in 2019 due to IHD attributable to TFA, with the highest costs of hospitalisations, for males and individuals aged ≥ 50 years or over. The highest costs were observed in Sergipe (Int$ 6508/10 000; 95 % uncertainty interval 576­10 265), followed by the two states from the South. Overall, as the socio-demographic index increases, expenditures increase. CONCLUSIONS: TFA consumption results in a high disease and economic IHD burden in Brazil, reinforcing the need for more effective health policies, such as industrial TFA elimination, following the international agenda.

Improved outcomes and cost savings for patients with bleeding disorders: a quality improvement project.

Background: Providing optimal care for patients with bleeding disorders according to national standards remains a challenge at designated Hemophilia Treatment Centers (HTCs). Improved care may reduce bleeds and costs. Objectives: To improve care and demonstrate cost savings by 1) reducing preventable hospitalizations and emergency room visits (PHER) for bleeding, 2) increasing use of prophylaxis in severe hemophilia, and 3) improving patient-HTC communication and primary care engagement. Methods: Prospective quality improvement project using the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control methodology to implement uniform guideline-based bleeding disorder care at a rural HTC (N = 88). Intervention used a standardized physician checklist, improved communication, and reserved physician time for urgent management. Outcomes were determined by retrospective chart review; urgent management was tracked prospectively. Results: Intervention significantly reduced PHER by 85.4%. Use of prophylaxis in persons with severe hemophilia increased from 58.8% to 100%; attainment of a primary care physician and electronic portal enrollment met outcomes for intervention success. HTC clinic visit attendance was low at 55.2%. The majority of patients (71.6%) had at least 1 outpatient urgent episode (mean, 0.72 episode per year), and 93% had nonurgent management (mean, 9.3 episodes per year) occurring outside of a clinic visit. Hospital PHER factor cost in the group was reduced by 94.5%, from $11,800 to $640 per patient per year-a cost savings of $982,088 yearly. Conclusion: This collaborative study shows that implementation of a carefully designed quality improvement project, such as uniform guidelines with focus on strengthening ambulatory management, led to improved outcomes and cost savings.

De-simplifying antiretroviral therapy from a single-tablet to a two-tablet regimen: Acceptance, patient-reported outcomes, and cost savings in a multicentre study.

BACKGROUND: Antiretroviral therapy (ART), which is increasingly used by people with HIV, accounts for significant care costs, particularly because of single-tablet regimens (STRs). This study explored de-simplification to a two-tablet regimen (TTR) for cost reduction. The objectives of this study were: (1) acceptance of de-simplification, (2) patient-reported outcomes, and (3) cost savings. METHODS: All individuals on Triumeq®, Atripla® or Eviplera® in five HIV clinics in the Netherlands were eligible. Healthcare providers informed individuals of this study. After inclusion, individuals were free to de-simplify. An electronic questionnaire was sent to assess study acceptance, adherence, quality of life (SF12) and treatment satisfaction (HIVTSQ). After 3 and 12 months, questionnaires were repeated. Cost savings were calculated using Dutch drug prices. RESULTS: In total, 283 individuals were included, of whom 55.5% agreed to de-simplify their ART, with a large variability between treatment centres: 41.1-74.2%. Individuals who were willing to de-simplify tended to be older, had a longer history of HIV diagnosis, and used more co-medication than those who preferred to remain on an STR regimen. Patient-reported outcomes, including quality of life and treatment satisfaction, showed no significant difference between people with HIV who switched to a TTR and those who remained on an STR regimen. Furthermore, we observed a 17.8% reduction in drug costs in our cohort of people with HIV who were initially on an STR. CONCLUSIONS: De-simplification from an STR to a TTR within the Dutch healthcare setting has been demonstrated as feasible, leads to significant cost reductions and should be discussed with every eligible person with HIV in the Netherlands.

Proactive Use of a Human Milk Fat Modular in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Standardized Feeding Protocol.

An exclusive human milk diet (EHMD) and standardized feeding protocols are two critical methods for safely feeding very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Our institution initiated a standardized feeding protocol for all VLBW infants in 2018. In this protocol, a human milk fat modular was used only reactively when an infant had poor weight gain, fluid restriction, or hypoglycemia. As part of our NICU quality improvement program, internal utilization review data revealed a potential opportunity to improve growth and reduce costs. While maintaining the EHMD, a simple feeding guideline process change could provide cost savings without sacrificing caloric density or growth. We examined this process change in pre-post cohorts of VLBW infants. METHODS: Our revised feeding protocol, established in October 2021, called for a human milk fat modular (Prolact CR) to be added to all infant feeding when parenteral nutrition (PN) and lipids were discontinued. The human milk fat modular concentration is 4 mL per 100 mL feed, providing approximately an additional 2 kcal/oz. We tracked data to compare (1) the use of the human milk fat modular, (2) the use of the human milk +8 fortifier, (3) overall growth before and after feeding protocol changes, and (4) cost differences between protocols. RESULTS: Thirty-six VLBW infants were followed prospectively upon the introduction of the revised feeding protocol. In the revised era, the need for human milk +8 fortifier decreased from 43% to 14%. The decrease in the cost of a more costly fortifier provided a cost savings of USD 2967.78 on average per infant. Overall growth improved from birth to discharge, with severe malnutrition declining from 3.3% to 2.7% and moderate malnutrition declining from 37% to 8%. CONCLUSIONS: With the proactive use of a human milk fat modular in a standardized feeding protocol, our VLBW infants showed improved growth, lower malnutrition rates, and decreased use of higher caloric fortifiers.

Similar Efficacy and Lower Cost Associated With Ceftazidime Compared to Tobramycin Coupled With Vancomycin in Antibiotic Spacers in the Treatment of Periprosthetic Joint Infection.

BACKGROUND: Vancomycin and tobramycin have traditionally been used in antibiotic spacers. In 2020, our institution replaced tobramycin with ceftazidime. We hypothesized that the use of ceftazidime/vancomycin (CV) in antibiotic spacers would not lead to an increase in treatment failure compared to tobramycin/vancomycin (TV). METHODS: From 2014 to 2022, we identified 243 patients who underwent a stage I revision for periprosthetic joint infection. The primary outcome was a recurrent infection requiring antibiotic spacer exchange. We were adequately powered to detect a 10% difference in recurrent infection. Patients who had a prior failed stage I or two-stage revision for infection, acute kidney injury prior to surgery, or end-stage renal disease were excluded. Given no other changes to our spacer constructs, we estimated cost differences attributable to the antibiotic change. Chi-square and t-tests were used to compare the two groups. Multivariable logistic regressions were utilized for the outcomes. RESULTS: The combination of TV was used in 127 patients; CV was used in 116 patients. Within one year of stage I, 9.8% of the TV group had a recurrence of infection versus 7.8% of the CV group (P = .60). By final follow-up, results were similar (12.6 versus 8.6%, respectively, P = .32). Adjusting for potential risk factors did not alter the results. Cost savings for ceftazidime versus tobramycin are estimated to be $68,550 per one hundred patients treated. CONCLUSIONS: Replacing tobramycin with ceftazidime in antibiotic spacers yielded similar periprosthetic joint infection eradication success at a lower cost. While larger studies are warranted to confirm these efficacy and cost-saving results, our data justifies the continued investigation and use of ceftazidime as an alternative to tobramycin in antibiotic spacers.

Cost-Savings Associated with Multi-Disciplinary Team Approach for Reducing Macrovascular and Microvascular Complications in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Predictive Model.

Purpose: This study aims to predict the expected cost savings associated with implementing a multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach to reduce macrovascular and microvascular complications among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: This economic evaluation study was conducted in Riyadh First Health Cluster, Saudi Arabia as a predictive model conceptualized by the authors based on models used in previous studies, particularly the CORE Diabetes Model. Our model was designed based on 1) the level of glycemic control among 24,755 T2DM patients served by MDTs; 2) the expected incidence of diabetes-related complications without intervention; 3) the predicted risk reduction of developing diabetes-related complications with MDTs. Costs of complications and cost savings were then calculated and expressed as mean incremental annual cost savings adjusted for a 1% reduction in HbA1c, and a 10 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure (SBP). Results: Along with the expected reduction in all diabetes-related complications, the average incremental cost savings per diabetic patient is predicted to be ($38,878) with approximately ($11,108) in the year of complication onset and ($27,770) over the subsequent post-index 10-years. On adjustment of cost savings, the average incremental cost savings are predicted to be ($22,869) for each 1% reduction in HbA1c per diabetic patient and ($27,770) for every 10 mmHg reduction in SBP per diabetic patient. Conclusion: MDT as a model of care is effective in glycemic control among T2DM patients with a predicted significant reduction of all diabetes-related complications and in turn, a predicted significant cost savings.