Systematic review of the impact of health care expenditure on health outcome measures: implications for cost-effectiveness thresholds.

OBJECTIVE: Empirical estimates of the impact of healthcare expenditure on health outcome measures may inform the cost-effectiveness threshold (CET) for guiding funding decisions. This study aims to systematically review studies that estimated this, summarize and compare the estimates by country income level. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Scopus, York Research database, and [anonymized] for Reviews and Dissemination database from inception to 1 August 2023. For inclusion, a study had to be an original article, estimating the impact of healthcare expenditure on health outcome measures at a country level, and presented estimates, in terms of cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) or disability-adjusted life year (DALY). RESULTS: We included 18 studies with 385 estimates. The median (range) estimates were PPP$ 11,224 (PPP$ 223 - PPP$ 288,816) per QALY gained and PPP$ 5,963 (PPP$ 71 - PPP$ 165,629) per DALY averted. As ratios of Gross Domestic Product per capita (GDPPC), these estimates were 0.376 (0.041-182.840) and 0.318 (0.004-37.315) times of GDPPC, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The commonly used CET of GDPPC seems to be too high for all countries, but especially low-to-middle-income countries where the potential health losses from misallocation of the same money are greater. REGISTRATION: The review protocol was published and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020147276).

Cost-effectiveness analysis of isolation strategies for asymptomatic and mild symptom COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND: Management of COVID-19 patients with mild and moderate symptoms could be isolated at home isolation (HI), community isolation (CI) or hospitel. However, it was still unclear which strategy was more cost-effective. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate this. METHODS: This study used data from patients who initially stayed at HI, CI, and hospitel under supervision of Ramathibodi Hospital between April and October 2021. Outcomes of interest were hospitalisation and mortality. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) was calculated based on hospital perspective using home isolation as the reference. RESULTS: From 7,077 patients, 4,349 2,356, and 372 were admitted at hospitel, HI, and CI, respectively. Most patients were females (57.04%) and the mean age was 40.42 (SD = 16.15). Average durations of stay were 4.47, 3.35, and 3.91 days for HI, CI, and hospitel, respectively. The average cost per day for staying in these corresponding places were 24.22, 63.69, and 65.23 US$. For hospitalisation, the ICER for hospitel was at 41.93 US$ to avoid one hospitalisation in 1,000 patients when compared to HI, while CI had more cost, but less cases avoided. The ICER for hospitel and CI were at 46.21 and 866.17 US$ to avoid one death in 1,000 patients. CONCLUSIONS: HI may be cost-effective isolated strategy for preventing hospitalisation and death in developing countries with limited resources.

Rituximab for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in Thailand: an economic evaluation and budget impact analysis.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory demyelination process in the central nervous system (CNS) causing neurological disability and poor quality of life. Currently, Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved disease-modifying therapy is costly, and most patients with multiple sclerosis are ineligible for treatment in Thailand as previous studies have challenged its cost-effectiveness. Off-label use of rituximab is inexpensive and highly effective in treating multiple sclerosis, but evidence of its cost-effectiveness in Thailand is yet to be collected. METHODS: This study aimed to evaluate the cost-utility and budget impact of rituximab for multiple sclerosis treatment compared with best supportive care, the standard practice in Thailand to treat the disease. A Markov model with a one-month cycle length and lifetime horizon was applied to compare the costs and outcomes of rituximab and best supportive care based on a societal perspective. Accordingly, incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were estimated. Probabilistic and one-way sensitivity analyses were conducted to investigate parameter uncertainty. In addition, the Markov model was used to assess the 5-year budget impact from the government perspective. RESULTS: A rituximab biosimilar demonstrated higher effectiveness and lower associated costs, compared to best supportive care, with the highest probability of being cost-effective (96%). The probability of relapse was the most sensitive parameter according to the one-way sensitivity analysis. The calculated budget impact of treating patients with multiple sclerosis in Thailand was 26,360,000 Thai baht (THB) or 844,255 United States dollars (USD) in the first fiscal year, and approximately 20,810,000-23,080,000 THB (666,608-739,388 USD) in the next four fiscal years. CONCLUSION: In Thailand, a rituximab biosimilar would reduce the overall costs of multiple sclerosis treatment and should, therefore, be included in the National List of Essential Medicines.

Efficacy of Time-Restricted Eating and Behavioral Economic Intervention in Reducing Fasting Plasma Glucose, HbA1c, and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Patients with Impaired Fasting Glucose: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

This randomized controlled trial is aimed at assessing the efficacy of combining time-restricted eating (TRE) with behavioral economic (BE) interventions and comparing it to TRE alone and to the usual care for reducing fasting plasma glucose (FPG), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and other cardiometabolic risk factors among patients with impaired fasting glucose (IFG). Seventy-two IFG patients aged 18-65 years were randomly allocated for TRE with BE interventions (26 patients), TRE alone (24 patients), or usual care (22 patients). Mean FPG, HbA1c, and other cardiometabolic risk factors among the three groups were compared using a mixed-effect linear regression analysis. Mean body weight, FPG, HbA1c, fasting insulin, and lipid profiles did not significantly differ among the three groups. When considering only patients who were able to comply with the TRE protocol, the TRE group showed significantly lower mean FPG, HbA1c, and fasting insulin levels compared to the usual care group. Our results did not show significant differences in body weight, blood sugar, fasting insulin, or lipid profiles between TRE plus BE interventions, TRE alone, and usual care groups. However, TRE might be an effective intervention in lowering blood sugar levels for IFG patients who were able to adhere to the TRE protocol.

Incremental net monetary benefit of biologic therapies in moderate to severe asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis of economic evaluation studies.

OBJECTIVES: This meta-analysis was conducted to quantitatively pool the incremental net benefit (INB) of using biologic therapies as an add-on treatment to standard therapy in patients with moderate to severe asthma. METHODS: We performed a comprehensive search in several databases published until April 2022. Studies were included if they were cost-effectiveness analyses reporting cost per quality-adjusted life-year or life-year on any biologic therapies as an add-on treatment for moderate to severe asthma in patients of all ages. Various monetary units were converted to purchasing power parity, adjusted to 2021 US dollars. The INBs were pooled across studies using a random-effects model, stratified by country income level (high-income countries (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)) and perspectives (health care or payer perspective (HCPP) and societal perspective (SP)) and age group (>12 years and 6-11 years). Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic. RESULTS: A total of 32 comparisons from 25 studies were included. Pooled INB indicated that the use of omalizumab as an add-on treatment to standard therapy in those aged >12 years was not cost-effective in HICs from the HCPP (n = 8, INB, -6,341 (95% CI, -$25,000 to $12,210), I2=86.18%) and SP (n = 5, -$14,000 (-$170,000 to $140,000), I2=75.64%). A similar finding was observed in those aged 6-11 years from the HCPP in LMICs (n = 2, -$45,000 (-$73,000 to $17,000), I2=00.00%). Subgroup analyses provided no explanations of the potential sources of heterogeneity. CONCLUSION: The use of biologic therapies in moderate to severe asthma is not cost-effective compared to standard treatment alone.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Behavioral Economic Incentive Programs for Goal Achievement on Healthy Diet, Weight Control and Physical Activity: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Healthy diet, weight control and physical activity to reduce obesity can be motivated by financial incentives (FI). Behavioral-economic approaches may improve the incentivization effectiveness. This study compares and ranks the effectiveness of standard and behavioral incentivization for healthy diet, weight control, and physical activity promotion. PURPOSE: To investigate whether behavioral-economic insights improve incentivization effectiveness. METHODS: A systematic search of Medline and Scopus was performed from database inception to December 2020. Study characteristics, program designs, and risk ratio (RR) were extracted. A two-stage network meta-analysis pooled and ranked intervention effects. RESULTS: There were 35 eligible RCTs. For diet-weight control, standard FI, deposit contract (deposit), lottery-based incentive (lottery), and standard-FI + lottery increased goal achievement compared to no-FI but only deposit was statistically significant with pooled RRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of 1.21 (0.94, 1.56), 1.79 (1.04, 3.05), 1.45 (0.99, 2.13), and 1.73 (0.83, 3.63). For physical activity, standard-FI, deposit, and lottery significantly increased goal achievement compared to no-FI, with pooled RRs of 1.38 (1.13, 1.68), 1.63 (1.24, 2.14) and 1.43 (1.14, 1.80), respectively. In a follow-up period for physical activity, only deposit significantly increased goal achievement compared to no-FI, with pooled RRs of 1.39 (1.11, 1.73). CONCLUSION: Deposit, followed by lottery, were best for motivating healthy diet, weight control and physical activity at program end. Post-intervention, deposit then standard-FI were best for motivating physical activity. Behavioral insights can improve incentivization effectiveness, although lottery-based approaches may offer only short-term benefit regarding physical activity. However, the imprecise intervention effects were major concerns.

Healthy diet, weight control and physical activity to reduce obesity can be motivated by financial incentives (FI). Behavioral-economic approaches may improve the effectiveness of FI programs. This study aims to investigate whether behavioral-economic insights improve incentivization effectiveness for healthy diet, weight control, and physical activity promotion. We conducted a systematic review of published randomized controlled trials (RCTs), then pooled the interested results, compared and ranked the effectiveness of standard and behavioral incentivization programs by a two-stage network meta-analysis. There were 35 eligible RCTs. For diet-weight control, standard FI, deposit contract (deposit), lottery-based incentive (lottery), and standard-FI + lottery increased goal achievement compared to no-FI but only deposit was statistically significant. For physical activity, standard-FI, deposit, and lottery significantly increased goal achievement compared to no-FI. In a follow-up period for physical activity, only deposit significantly increased goal achievement compared to no-FI. In conclusion, deposit, followed by lottery, were best for motivating healthy diet, weight control and physical activity at program end. Post-intervention, deposit then standard-FI were best for motivating physical activity. This shows that behavioral insights can improve incentivization effectiveness, although lottery-based approaches may offer only short-term benefit regarding physical activity.

Pneumococcal Vaccination in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cost-Effectiveness Studies.

OBJECTIVES: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) have significantly reduced disease burden caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, a leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality globally. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the incremental net benefit (INB) of the 13-valent PCV (PCV13) and 10-valent PCV (PCV10) in children. METHODS: We performed a comprehensive search in several databases published before May 2022. Studies were included if they were cost-effectiveness or cost-utility analyses of PCV13 or PCV10 compared with no vaccination or with each other in children. Various monetary units were converted to purchasing power parity, adjusted to 2021 US dollars. The INBs were calculated and then pooled across studies stratified by country income level, perspective, and consideration of herd effects, using a random-effect model. RESULTS: Seventy studies were included. When herd effects were considered, PCV13 was cost-effective compared with PCV10 from the payer perspective in both high-income countries (HICs) (INB, $103.94; 95% confidence interval, $75.28-$132.60) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (INB, $53.49; 95% confidence interval, $30.42-$76.55) with statistical significance. These findings were robust across a series of sensitivity analyses. PCV13 was cost-effective compared with no vaccination across perspectives and consideration of herd effects in both HICs and LMICs, whereas findings were less consistent for PCV10. CONCLUSION: PCVs were generally cost-effective compared with no vaccination in HICs and LMICs. Our study found that PCV13 was cost-effective compared with PCV10 when herd effects were considered from the payer perspective in both HICs and LMICs. The results are sensitive to the consideration of herd effects.

Economic evaluation of peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis in Thai population with End-stage Kidney Disease.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to conduct a cost-utility analysis of the "Peritoneal Dialysis (PD)-First" policy in 2008 under a universal health coverage scheme and hemodialysis (HD) in Thai patients with End-stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) using updated real-practice data. METHODS: Markov model was used to evaluate the cost-utility of two modalities, stratified into five age groups based on the first modality taken at 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 years old from government and societal perspectives. Input parameters related to clinical aspects and cost were obtained from 15 hospitals throughout Thailand and Thai Renal Replacement Therapy databases. Both costs and outcomes were discounted at 3%, adjusted to 2021, and converted to USD (1 USD = 33.57 Thai Baht). One-way analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed to assess the uncertainty surrounding model parameters. RESULTS: From the government perspective, compared to PD-first policy, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was between 19,434 and 23,796 USD per QALY. Conversely, from a societal perspective, the ICER was between 31,913 and 39,912 USD per QALY. Both are higher than the willingness to pay threshold of 4,766 USD per QALY. CONCLUSION: By applying the updated real-practice data, PD-first policy still remains more cost-effective than HD-first policy at the current willingness to pay. However, HD gained more quality-adjusted life years than PD. This information will assist clinicians and policymakers in determining the future direction of dialysis modality selection and kidney replacement therapy reimbursement policies for ESKD patients.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of mesh fixation techniques for laparoscopic and open inguinal hernia surgeries.

PURPOSE: This study reports economic evaluation of mesh fixation in open and laparoscopic hernia repair from a prospective real-world cohort study, using cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) and cost-utility analysis (CUA). METHODS: A prospective real-world cohort study was conducted in two university-based hospitals in Thailand from November 2018 to 2019. Patient data on hernia features, operative approaches, clinical outcomes, associated cost data, and quality of life were collected. Models were used to determine each group's treatment effect, potential outcome means, and average treatment effects. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was used to evaluate the incremental risk of hernia recurrences. RESULTS: The 261 patients in this study were divided into six groups: laparoscopic with tack (LT, n = 47), glue (LG, n = 26), and self-gripping mesh (LSG, n = 30), and open with suture (OS, n = 117), glue (OG, n = 18), and self-gripping mesh (OSG, n = 23). Hernia recurrence was most common in LSG. The mean utility score was highest in OG and OSG (both 0.99). Treatment costs were generally higher for laparoscopic than open procedures. The cost-effectiveness plane for utility and hernia recurrence identified LSG as least cost effective. Cost-effectiveness acceptability curves identified OG as having the highest probability of being cost effective at willingness to pay levels between $0 and $3,300, followed by OSG. CONCLUSION: Given the similarity of hernia recurrence among all major procedures, the cost of surgery may impact the decision. According to our findings, open hernia repair with adhesive or self-gripping mesh appears most cost-effective.

Efficacy of time-restricted eating and behavioural economic interventions in reducing fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c and cardiometabolic risk factors compared with time-restricted eating alone or usual care in patients with impaired fasting glucose: protocol for an open-label randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) is a significant risk factor for diabetes mellitus. Time-restricted eating (TRE) is one type of diet showing positive effects on metabolic signal pathways. However, effects of TRE on cardiometabolic risk factors in humans are limited. Additionally, compliance with TRE remains problematic despite having intention to follow the diet control. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the efficacy of TRE with behavioural economic interventions or TRE alone relative to usual care, in reducing fasting plasma glucose (FPG), haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and other cardiometabolic risk factors in patients with IFG. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This parallel-group, open-label randomised controlled trial will be conducted at the outpatient clinic of the Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. Patients aged 18-65 years with IFG defined as FPG 100-125 mg/dL and body mass index ≥25 kg/m2 will be recruited between October 2021 and October 2022. Patients will be randomly allocated to three groups (1:1:1 ratio) as (1) TRE with behavioural economic interventions including financial incentives and text reminders, (2) TRE alone or (3) usual care. The number of participants will be 38 per group (a total of 114). The duration of the intervention will be 12 weeks. Primary outcome is FPG levels measured at 12 weeks after randomisation. Secondary outcomes are HbA1c, body weight, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting insulin, serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-sensitivity C reactive protein. P value of <0.05 of two-sided test will be considered as statistical significance. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study protocol has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University (MURA2021/389). All patients will be informed about the details of the study and sign written informed consent before enrollment in the study. Results from this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: TCTR20210520002.

Economic evaluation of seasonal influenza vaccination in elderly and health workers: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: A number of cost-effectiveness analysis of influenza vaccination have been conducted to estimate value of influenza vaccines in elderly and health workers (HWs). This study aims to summarize cost-effectiveness evidence by pooling the incremental net monetary benefit (INMB) of influenza vaccination. Methods: A systematic review was performed in electronic databases from their inceptions to February 2022. Cost-effectiveness studies reporting quality-adjusted life year (QALY), or life year (LY) of influenza vaccination were included. Stratified meta-analyses by population, perspective, country income-level, and herd-effect were performed to pool INMB across studies. The protocol was registered at PROSPERO (CRD42021246746). Findings: A total of 21 studies were included. Eighteen studies were conducted in elderly, two studies were conducted in HWs, and one study was conducted in both elderly and HWs. According to pre-specified analyses, studies for elderly in high-income economies (countries) (HIEs) and upper-middle income economies (UMIEs) without herd effect could be pooled. For HIEs under a societal perspective, the perspective which identify all relevant costs occurred in the society including direct medical cost, direct non-medical cost and indirect cost, pooled INMB was $217·38 (206·23, 228·53, I2 =28.2%), while that for healthcare provider/payer perspective was $0·20 (-11,908·67, 11,909·07, I2 = 0.0%). For societal perspective in UMIEs, pooled INMB was $28·39 (-190·65, 133·87, I2 = 92.8%). The findings were robust across a series of sensitivity analyses for HIEs. Studies in HWs indicated that influenza vaccination was cost-effective compared to no vaccination or current practice. Interpretation: Influenza vaccination might be cost-effective for HWs and elderly in HIEs under a societal perspective with relatively small variations among included studies, while there remains limited evidence for healthcare provider/payer perspective or other level of incomes. Further evidence is warranted. Funding: This study was funded by a grant of Immunization, Vaccine and Biologicals department of the World Health Organization. The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of the US CDC which provided financial support to the development and publication of this report. Grant number US CDC, WHO IVR (U50CK000431).

Does meta-analysis of economic evaluations have the potential to play a role in healthcare decision-making in the United States?

The current use of economic evidence in the decision-making process in the US is increasing. Meta-analysis of economic evaluations (MAEE) has gained recognition in recent years and can support decision-making at the global level or for countries with resource constraints. The focus of this article is to demonstrate how MAEE may contribute to the decision-making process in the US healthcare system. We demonstrated that MAEE can provide an efficient mechanism to quantitatively summarize cost-effectiveness findings based on all existing studies from the US answering the same question across different assumptions. This sort of evidence is important for US policymakers to support policy decision-making. MAEE methods can streamline the process of reviewing complex economic models and their findings, which has been previously reported by stakeholders as a barrier to the use of economic evidence in decision-making in the US. However, the currently proposed method may not fully address the issue of heterogeneity observed among MAEEs. There is a critical need to explore sources of heterogeneity and develop a standardized approach to handle it to improve the efficiency and acceptability of future MAEEs.

Meta-analysis of economic evaluation studies: data harmonisation and methodological issues.

BACKGROUND: In the context of ever-growing health expenditure and limited resources, economic evaluations aid in making evidence-informed policy decisions. Cost-utility analysis (CUA) is often used, and CUA data synthesis is also desirable, but methodological issues are challenged. Hence, we aim to provide a step-by-step process to prepare the CUA data for meta-analysis. METHODS: Data harmonisation methods were constructed specifically considering CUA methodology, including inconsistent reports, economic parameters, heterogeneity (i.e., country's income, time horizon, perspective, modelling approaches, currency, willingness to pay). An incremental net benefit (INB) and its variance were estimated and pooled across studies using a basic meta-analysis by COMER. RESULTS: Five scenarios show how to obtain INB and variance with various reported data: Study reports the mean and variance (Scenario 1) or 95% confidence interval (Scenario 2) of ΔC, ΔE, and ICER for INB/variance calculations. Scenario 3: ΔC, ΔE, and variances are available, but not for the ICER; a Monte Carlo was used to simulate ΔC and ΔE data, variance and covariance can be then estimated leading INB calculation. Scenario-4: Only the CE plane was available, ΔC and ΔE data can be extracted; means of ΔC, ΔE, and variance/covariance can be estimated accordingly, leading to INB/variance estimates. Scenario-5: Only mean cost/outcomes and ICER are available but not for variance and the CE-plane. A variance INB can be borrowed from other studies which are similar characteristics, including country income, ICERs, intervention-comparator, time period, country region, and model type and inputs (i.e., discounting, time horizon). CONCLUSION: Out data harmonisation and meta-analytic methods should be useful for researchers for the synthesis of economic evidence to aid policymakers in decision making.

Incremental net monetary benefit of herpes zoster vaccination: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cost-effectiveness evidence.

OBJECTIVES: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to pool the incremental net benefit (INB) of each herpes zoster vaccine [i.e. Zoster Vaccine Live (ZVL) and Recombinant Zoster Vaccine (RZV)]. METHODS: We initially identified individual studies by hand-searching reference lists of the relevant systematic review articles. An updated comprehensive search was performed in Medline, Scopus, and Embase until June 2020 for additional studies. Studies were eligible if they assessed the cost-effectiveness/utility of any pair among ZVL and RZV, and no vaccine and reported economic outcomes. Details of the study characteristics, economic model inputs, costs, and outcomes were extracted. INB was calculated with monetary units adjusting for purchasing power parity for 2019 US dollars and pooled by meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 37 studies were pooled for meta-analysis stratified by perspectives [i.e. societal (SP) and third-party payer (TPP)] and vaccine types. In SP, ZVL was cost-effective compared to no vaccine when vaccinated at ages of 50-59 and 70-79 years with INBs (95% CI) of $0.61 (0.37, 0.85) and $9.67 (5.20, 14.14), respectively. RZV was cost-effective for those aged 60-69 and 70-79 years with INBs of $75.61 (17.98, 133.23) and $85.01 (30.02, 140.01), respectively. In TPP, ZVL was cost-effective compared to no vaccine when vaccinated at age 70-79 years with INB of $7.57 (0.27, 14.86) and RZV was cost-effective at 60-69 years with INB $220.87 (47.80, 393.93). The cost-effectiveness of RZV was robust across a series of sensitivity analyses, but ZVL differs on different vaccination ages. CONCLUSIONS: RZV may be cost-effective for vaccination in ages of 60-79 years for both SP and TPP perspectives, while ZVL might be cost-effective in some age groups, but results are not robust.

Economic evaluation of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) versus vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess cost-effectiveness of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) compared with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) by pooling incremental net benefits (INBs). DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. SETTING: We searched PubMed, Scopus and Centre for Evaluation of Value and Risks in Health Registry from inception to December 2019. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with AF. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The INB was defined as a difference of incremental effectiveness multiplied by willing to pay threshold minus the incremental cost; a positive INB indicated favour treatment. These INBs were pooled (stratified by level of country income, perspective, time-horizon, model types) with a random-effects model if heterogeneity existed, otherwise a fixed effects model was applied. Heterogeneity was assessed using Q test and I2 statistic. Risk of bias was assessed using the economic evaluations bias (ECOBIAS) checklist. RESULTS: A total of 100 eligible economic evaluation studies (224 comparisons) were included. For high-income countries (HICs) from a third-party payer (TPP) perspective, the pooled INBs for DOAC versus VKA pairs were significantly cost-effective with INBs (95% CI) of $6632 ($2961.67 to $10 303.72; I2=59.9%), $6353.24 ($4076.03 to $8630.45; I2=0%), $7664.58 ($2979.79 to $12 349.37; I2=0%) and $8573.07 ($1877.05 to $15 269.09; I2=0%) for dabigatran, apixaban, rivaroxaban and edoxaban relative to VKA, respectively but only dabigatran was significantly cost-effective from societal perspective (SP) with an INB of $11 746.96 ($2429.34 to $21 064.59; I2=52.4%). The pooled INBs of all comparisons for upper-middle income countries (UMICs) were not significantly cost-effective. The ECOBIAS checklist indicated that risk of bias was mostly low for most items with the exception of five items which should be less influenced on pooling INBs. CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis provides comprehensive economic evidence that allows policy makers to generalise cost-effectiveness data to their local context. All DOACs may be cost-effective compared with VKA in HICs with TPP perspective. The pooling results produced moderate to high heterogeneity particularly in UMICs. Further studies are required to inform UMICs with SP. PROSPERO REGISTERATION NUMBER: CRD 42019146610.

Economic evaluation of hepatitis A vaccines by income level of the country: A systematic review.

Background & objectives: Although several reviews of economic evaluation (EE) studies on hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccine exist, there remains a need to corroborate such data from time to time. This study aimed to systematically review the literature for reports on EE of HAV vaccination by type of population, characteristics of intervention and income level of the country. Methods: PubMed and Scopus were searched to identify relevant studies from inception up to May 2021 using topic-specific key words in various combinaiton. Full EE studies comparing HAV vaccination to no vaccine or immunoglobulin were included. The risk of bias was assessed by using the ECOBIAS checklist. Results: Among the 1984 identified studies, 43 were found eligible. Of these, 27 were from high-income countries (HICs), 15 from middle-income countries (MICs), and one from low income country. Majority of the studies used Markov model and/or decision tree (n=26). Eight studies used a dynamic model. The discount rate, perspective and time horizon varied across the studies. Universal HAV vaccination without screening was cost-effective among children (14/16, 87.5%) and adolescents (1/5, 20%) but not in adults (0/4, 0%). Analysis by the level of income found that universal HAV vaccination among children without screening was cost-effective in 81.8 per cent of the studies conducted in MICs (9/11) as compared to 66.7 per cent in HICs (4/6). About one-third of the studies conducted among children found that screening and HAV vaccination were cost-effective compared to no vaccination. Interpretation & conclusions: The finding of this review suggest that universal vaccination of children without screening was likely to be cost-effective, especially in MICs. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the methodology varied across studies. Several aspects should also be considered in transferring the EE results across jurisdictions.

Economic evaluation of population-based type 2 diabetes mellitus screening at different healthcare settings in Vietnam.

INTRODUCTION: Few economic evaluations have assessed the cost-effectiveness of screening type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in different healthcare settings. This study aims to evaluate the value for money of various T2DM screening strategies in Vietnam. METHODS: A decision analytical model was constructed to compare costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) of T2DM screening in different health care settings, including (1) screening at commune health station (CHS) and (2) screening at district health center (DHC), with no screening as the current practice. We further explored the costs and QALYs of different initial screening ages and different screening intervals. Cost and utility data were obtained by primary data collection in Vietnam. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated from societal and payer perspectives, while uncertainty analysis was performed to explore parameter uncertainties. RESULTS: Annual T2DM screening at either CHS or DHC was cost-effective in Vietnam, from both societal and payer perspectives. Annual screening at CHS was found as the best screening strategy in terms of value for money. From a societal perspective, annual screening at CHS from initial age of 40 years was associated with 0.40 QALYs gained while saving US$ 186.21. Meanwhile, one-off screening was not cost-effective when screening for people younger than 35 years old at both CHS and DHC. CONCLUSIONS: T2DM screening should be included in the Vietnamese health benefits package, and annual screening at either CHS or DHC is recommended.

Cost-Utility Analysis of Dapagliflozin Compared to Sulfonylureas for Type 2 Diabetes as Second-Line Treatment in Indian Healthcare Payer's Perspective.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a leading health issue, causing economic burden in India. Pharmacotherapy is a major cost driver in diabetic care usually funded through out of pocket expenditure; however, there has been a very limited economic evaluation evidence to guide the choice of diabetes pharmacotherapy in India. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the long-term cost-effectiveness of dapagliflozin (sodium glucose transporter 2 inhibitor) compared to commonly used sulfonylureas as second-line drugs in Indian patients with T2DM. METHODS: Cost-utility analysis was employed to estimate the costs and health outcomes using a Markov model with 1-year cycle length during a lifetime horizon based on an Indian payer's perspective. A treatment pathway with dapagliflozin as second-line therapy was compared to sulfonylureas after failure of initial metformin therapy. Clinical and cost data were collected from literature reviews and available secondary data sources. Both costs and outcomes were discounted at a 3% annual discount rate. The results were presented as the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to test parameter uncertainties. RESULTS: Compared to sulfonylurea, dapagliflozin was estimated to incur an additional cost of ₹182,632 (US$2,446) with an expected 3.49 life years (LY) or 1.72 quality adjusted life years (QALY) gained, resulting in an ICER of ₹52,270 (US$699) per LY gained, or ₹106,133 (US$1,421) per QALY gained. Uncertainty analyses showed that the ICER values were not sensitive to changes in most parameters. CONCLUSION: Dapagliflozin would be cost-effective compared to sulfonylureas as the second line added to metformin for T2DM patients based on an Indian payer's perspective.

A Systematic Review of Demand-Side Methods of Estimating the Societal Monetary Value of Health Gain.

OBJECTIVES: Although many reviews of the literature on cost-effectiveness thresholds (CETs) exist, the availability of new studies and the absence of a fully comprehensive analysis warrant a new review. This study systematically reviews demand-side methods for estimating the societal monetary value of health gain. METHODS: Several electronic databases were searched from inception to October 2019. To be included, a study had to be an original article in any language, with a clearly described method for estimating the societal monetary values of health gain and with all estimated values reported. Estimates were converted to US dollars ($), using purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rates and the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (2019). RESULTS: We included 53 studies; 45 used direct approach and 8 used indirect approach. Median estimates from the direct approach were PPP$ 24 942 (range 554-1 301 912) per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY), which were typically 0.53 (range 0.02-24.08) GDP per capita. Median estimates using the indirect approach were PPP$ 310 051 (range 36 402-7 574 870) per QALY, which accounted for 7.87 (range 0.68-116.95) GDP per capita. CONCLUSIONS: Our review found that the societal values of health gain or CETs were less than GDP per capita. The great variety in methods and estimates suggests that a more standardized and internationally agreed methodology for estimating CET is warranted. Multiple CETs may have a role when QALYs are not equally valued from a societal perspective (eg, QALYs accruing to people near death compared with equivalent QALYs to others).