Cost-effectiveness of Routine Postoperative Retrograde Voiding Trials Following Pelvic Surgeries.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of retrograde voiding trials in the management of postoperative voiding dysfunction. METHODS: We developed a disease simulation model to assess under which conditions routine retrograde voiding trial is the optimal strategy in terms of cost per quality-adjusted life-year and cost per case of chronic voiding dysfunction avoided. We varied the incidence of voiding dysfunction between 2% and 60%. We discounted future costs and utilities at 3% annually. We conducted 1- and 2-way sensitivity analyses on uncertain model parameters. RESULTS: The lifetime analysis showed that when the incidence of postoperative voiding dysfunction exceeded 12.2%, retrograde voiding trials were cost-effective, assuming a willingness-to-pay (WTP) for health of $100,000/quality-adjusted life-year. When the incidence exceeded 31.1%, retrograde voiding trials became the dominant strategy (less costly and more effective). For a simple hysterectomy with voiding dysfunction incidence of approximately 10%, lifetime cost is $230,069/case of chronic voiding dysfunction avoided; for a midurethral sling with voiding dysfunction incidence of approximately 20%, lifetime cost is $60,449/case avoided. Sensitivity analyses showed that WTP for health, the incidence of presentation to the emergency department (ED) for urinary retention and the incidence of chronic urinary retention following treatment in the ED had the greatest impact on the cost-effectiveness results. CONCLUSIONS: Routine retrograde voiding trials following pelvic surgery can be cost-effective compared with expectant management when the incidence of voiding dysfunction exceeds 12.2%. These results were sensitive to WTP for health, incidence of ED visits for urinary retention, and incidence of chronic urinary retention following ED visits.

The effect of sacral neuromodulation on anticholinergic use and expenditures in a privately insured population.

OBJECTIVES: Sacral neuromodulation is Food and Drug Administration approved for many types of voiding dysfunction. Goals of treatment often include cessation of anticholinergic therapy. With the goal of understanding the impact of sacral neuromodulation on anticholinergic use, we analyzed patterns of care using a national claims-based dataset. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Ingenix (i3) data base contains insurance claims, including utilization and cost data, for 75 large employers. De-identified patients who underwent sacral neuromodulation between 2002 and 2007 were identified by the unique current procedural terminology-4 procedure code for pulse generator implantation, code 64590. The number and costs of anticholinergic prescriptions were compared before and after treatment. RESULTS: There were 266 percutaneous and 794 two-staged procedures performed from 2002 to 2007 in the i3 dataset. A total of 484 pulse generator implantations were performed, representing 46% of the test procedures. During the year prior to pulse generator placement, each patient purchased an average of 2.1 prescriptions for an anticholinergic agent (SD 3.5). During the year after neuromodulation, each patient purchased an average of 1.0 prescription (SD 2.3, p < 0.0001 by t-test). Prescription charges were $241.31 per patient before and $103.52 after neuromodulation, a statistically significant cost difference (p < 0.0001 by t-test). During the year before the procedure, 50% of patients filled anticholinergic prescriptions. This decreased to 23% after the procedure (p < 0.0001 by chi-square test). CONCLUSIONS: Sacral neuromodulation was associated with a significant decrease in the use of anticholinergic medication. Cost-effectiveness analyses that take into account patient quality-adjusted life years are needed to determine the true cost-benefit ratio of sacral neuromodulation.

Patient time and out-of-pocket costs for long-term prostate cancer survivors in Ontario, Canada.

PURPOSE: Time and out-of-pocket (OOP) costs can represent a substantial burden for cancer patients but have not been described for long-term cancer survivors. We estimated these costs, their predictors, and their relationship to financial income, among a cohort of long-term prostate cancer (PC) survivors. METHODS: A population-based, community-dwelling, geographically diverse sample of long-term (2-13 years) PC survivors in Ontario, Canada, was identified from the Ontario Cancer Registry and contacted through their referring physicians. We obtained data on demographics, health care resource use, and OOP costs through mailed questionnaires and conducted chart reviews to obtain clinical data. We compared mean annual time and OOP costs (2006 Canadian dollars) across clinical and sociodemographic characteristics and examined the association between costs and four groups of predictors (patient, disease, system, symptom) using two-part regression models. RESULTS: Patients' (N = 585) mean age was 73 years; 77 % were retired, and 42 % reported total annual incomes less than $40,000. Overall, mean time costs were $838/year and mean OOP costs were $200/year. Although generally low, total costs represented approximately 10 % of income for lower income patients. No demographic variables were associated with costs. Radical prostatectomy, younger age, poor urinary function, current androgen deprivation therapy, and recent diagnosis were significantly associated with increased likelihood of incurring any costs, but only urinary function significantly affected total amount. CONCLUSIONS: Time and OOP costs are modest for most long-term PC survivors but can represent a substantial burden for lower income patients. Even several years after diagnosis, PC-specific treatments and treatment-related dysfunction are associated with increased costs. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Time and out-of-pocket costs are generally manageable for long-term PC survivors but can be a significant burden mainly for lower income patients. The effects of PC-specific, treatment-related dysfunctions on quality of life can also represent sources of expense for patients.

Cost-benefit analysis: patient care at neurological intensive care unit.

Modern quality definition relies on patient centeredness and on patient needs for particular services, continuous control of the service provided, complete service quality management, and setting quality indicators as the health service endpoints. The health service provided to the patient has certain costs. Thus, one can ask the following: "To what extent does the increasing cost of patient care with changes in elimination improve the quality of health care and what costs are justifiable?" As stroke is the third leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Europe and worldwide, attention has been increasingly focused on stroke prevention and providing quality care for stroke patients. One of the most common medical/nursing problems in these patients is change in elimination, which additionally affects their mental health.

Urological symptom clusters and health-related quality-of-life: results from the Boston Area Community Health Survey.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether urological symptom clusters, as identified in previous studies, were associated with health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) and use of healthcare. SUBJECTS AND METHODS The Boston Area Community Health Survey is a population-based epidemiological study of 2301 male and 3201 female residents of Boston, MA, USA, aged 30-79 years. Baseline data collected from 2002 to 2005 were used in this analysis. Data on 14 urological symptoms were used for the cluster analysis, and five derived symptom clusters among men and four among women were used in multivariate linear regression models (adjusted for age group, race/ethnicity, and comorbidity) to determine their association with physical (PCS-12) and mental health component scores (MCS-12) calculated from the Medical Outcomes Study 12-item Short Form Survey. RESULTS For both men and women, being in the most symptomatic cluster was associated with decrements in the PCS-12 score (men, cluster 5, -10.42; women, cluster 4, -9.80; both P < 0.001) and the MCS-12 score (men, cluster 5, -9.35; women, cluster 4, -6.24; both P < 0.001) compared with the asymptomatic groups. Both men and women in these most symptomatic clusters appeared to have adequate access to healthcare. CONCLUSION For men and women, those with the most urological symptoms reported poorer HRQoL in two domains after adjusting for age and comorbidity, and despite adequate access to care.

Half-day urotherapy improves voiding parameters in children with dysfunctional emptying.

OBJECTIVES: Children with voiding dysfunction benefit from intensive bladder emptying re-education; however, hospitalization for such training is not always financially viable or realistic. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether half-day voiding re-education in pairs improved immediate and mid-term voiding parameters. METHODS: 48 children (mean age, 8.9 years; 54% male) identified in the urotherapy clinic as having either (1) abnormal uroflow curves, (2) a postvoid residual urine (PVRU)>10% of voided volume, or (3) proven dysfunctional voiding, were recruited and age- and gender-matched. Training over a half day included postural instruction, abdominal wall muscle pattern recognition, pelvic floor muscle relaxation training, and supervised voiding. Data from the initial clinic visit was compared to that after training, and at 1 and 3 mo follow-up. Families completed a questionnaire after the session. RESULTS: Urine flow curves were abnormal in 76.2% of initial clinic visit voids, 14% of patients after the half-day training session, and 11.7% of children at the 3-mo follow-up. Initial emptying efficiency (voided volume as a percentage of total bladder volume for that void) and mean PVR significantly improved following half-day training with gains maintained at both follow-up visits. CONCLUSION: Training children in pairs over a half day resulted in significantly improved bladder emptying that was sustained at the 3-mo follow-up.

Medical consumption and costs during a one-year follow-up of patients with LUTS suggestive of BPH in six european countries: report of the TRIUMPH study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the medical consumption and associated treatment costs of patients with LUTS suggestive of BPH. METHODS: A prospective, cross-sectional, observational survey in six European countries: France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom, with a one-year follow-up of incident and prevalent patients. RESULTS: Treatment costs were estimated for 5,057 patients with a mean age of 66 years and a mean IPSS score at inclusion of 11.5. In 30% of patients watchful waiting was the therapy of choice for the full follow-up period, 57% were prescribed alpha-lockers, 11% finasteride and 10% phytotherapy at any moment during the follow-up (including switches and combination of treatment). Surgery rate was 4.9%. Mean one-year treatment costs were 858 per patient, three quarters of which concerned medication costs. Multivariate regression analysis showed that medication choice, complications and undergoing surgery were associated with higher costs. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment costs for patients with LUTS suggestive of BPH were moderate and largely consisted of medication costs. Daily practice and associated costs varied considerably across the six countries.

Biofeedback therapy in pediatric urology.

Biofeedback is one of the unique treatment options available in the management of voiding dysfunction in children. The focus of biofeedback in pediatric urology is on pelvic floor muscle retraining. Biofeedback uses monitoring devices and strategically placed electrodes to obtain and relay to the child visual and/or auditory cues on bladder emptying activity. The visual and auditory cues help train the child to sense, interpret, and respond to the body's messages related to voiding activity. The overall goal is to improve the child's ability to store urine and empty the bladder more effectively.

Effects of a shared protocol between urologists and general practitioners on referral patterns and initial diagnostic management of men with lower urinary tract symptoms in Italy: the Prostate Destination study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether adopting a shared protocol between urologists and general practitioners (GPs) might change diagnostic procedures and referral patterns in the management of men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Forty-five urological centres and 263 GPs in Italy participated in this prospective study. Procedures adopted by GPs for evaluating five consecutive patients (aged > or = 50 years) were compared before (phase 1) and after (phase 2) implementation of the shared protocol. An evidence-based diagnostic algorithm was developed and approved by participating urologists and presented to local GPs at a training session. Protocol modifications were allowed after discussion with GPs. Direct costs of diagnostic procedures carried out before and after implementing the protocol were calculated from the perspective of the national health service. RESULTS: In all, 903 patients were evaluable in phase 1 and 856 in phase 2. Implementation of the protocol did not change referral patterns, with about half the patients being managed entirely by GPs. The use of a digital rectal examination by GPs increased from 32% to 41%, use of transrectal and suprapubic ultrasonography decreased from 33% to 23% and 53% to 44%, respectively, (all P < 0.001) and use of the International Prostate Symptom Score increased from 4.5% to 23.1% (P < 0.001). Overall, protocol-recommended tests were used more frequently, while those not recommended decreased after implementing the protocol. However, overuse of the tests not recommended (i.e. urine culture and free/total prostate specific antigen ratio) remained high. The mean cost per patient of diagnostic procedures ordered by GPs decreased from Euros 71.82 to Euros 61.93, with Euros 9.9 saved for each patient. CONCLUSION: Our intervention failed to decrease the percentage of cases of LUTS being referred to specialists, but was moderately effective in inducing changes in the diagnostic management by GPs that were indicative of increased compliance with best-practice principles, and produced cost savings of 13.8%.

Defining overactive bladder: epidemiology and burden of disease.

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common, disabling condition associated with considerable negative impact on quality of life, quality of sleep, and mental health. The age-specific prevalence of OAB is similar among men and women. Urge incontinence affects only a portion of the OAB population: 33% of patients have OAB with urge incontinence ("OAB wet"), while 66% have OAB without urge incontinence ("OAB dry"). The symptoms of OAB can affect social, psychological, occupational, domestic, physical, and sexual aspects of life. OAB can also lead to depression and low self-esteem. The shift away from urodynamic observation (essential in the identification of OAB) reflects increased emphasis on the symptom-specific nature of this common disorder. The overall costs of OAB to society are in the billions. Yet the condition often goes unrecognized, largely because of the reluctance of those with OAB to seek medical attention.

The cost of clinically significant urinary storage symptoms for community dwelling adults in the UK.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the cost of clinically significant urinary storage symptoms (CSUSS), including costs borne by the National Health Service (NHS) and individuals, in terms of the use of goods and services in community-dwelling adults. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The subjects were community-dwelling adults aged >/= 40 years and living in Leicestershire. The prevalence of CSUSS was estimated using a postal questionnaire with a randomly selected sample of 23 182 respondents. The costs associated with CSUSS were estimated using home interviews with 613 cases with and 523 subjects without CSUSS. Cases were defined on the basis of urinary symptoms of leakage, urgency, frequency and nocturia. Willingness-to-pay was used to measure intangible costs as an indicator of the value of alleviating symptoms. RESULTS: The estimated total annual cost to the NHS for treating CSUSS cases in community-dwelling adults was pound 536 million at 1999/2000 prices ( pound 303 million and pound 233 million for men and women, respectively). The total value of costs borne by individuals was estimated to be pound 207 million ( pound 29 million and pound 178 million for men and women, respectively). This gives total annual costs related to the use of services of pound 743 million. There were large intangible costs borne by individuals estimated to be pound 669 million ( pound 301 and pound 368 million for men and women) for the UK in terms of willingness-to-pay. CONCLUSIONS: The costs of CSUSS in the community amounted to approximately 1.1% of overall NHS spending for 1999/2000. Personally borne and intangible costs are also large and important components of the costs of CSUSS. There are large gender differences in the proportion of costs borne by the NHS, i.e. 91% of male and 57% of female costs.

Costs of urinary incontinence and overactive bladder in the United States: a comparative study.

OBJECTIVES: To update the cost of urinary incontinence (UI) for year 2000 and compare it with the cost of overactive bladder (OAB). METHODS: Using the cost-of-illness framework, disease epidemiologic data were combined with treatment rates, consequence probabilities, and average cost estimates. All costs reflect the costs during 2000. RESULTS: The total cost of UI and OAB was 19.5 billion dollars and 12.6 billion dollars, respectively (year 2000 dollars). With UI, 14.2 billion dollars was borne by community residents and 5.3 billion dollars by institutional residents. With OAB, 9.1 and 3.5 billion dollars, respectively, was incurred by community and institutional residents. CONCLUSIONS: OAB affected 34 million individuals compared with 17 million with UI. Despite the differences in epidemiology, the total and per-person costs of UI were higher than the OAB costs because OAB individuals without incontinent episodes incurred fewer costs, on average.

The effect of dysfunctional voiding on the costs of treating vesicoureteral reflux: a computer model.

PURPOSE: We created a computer model for evaluating the effect of dysfunctional voiding on the costs of managing vesicoureteral reflux in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The literature on vesicoureteral reflux was reviewed to create a set of assumptions regarding the epidemiology, likelihood of resolution, need for operative intervention, risk of infection and appropriate regimen for nonoperative surveillance. Recent literature describing the effect of dysfunctional voiding on the clinical course of vesicoureteral reflux was included in the model to compare the costs of treating vesicoureteral reflux in children with and without dysfunctional voiding. A 5-year management period was considered. RESULTS: Dysfunctional voiding in children with vesicoureteral reflux increased the cost of treatment per patient by 51.2%. The cost per patient increased with increasing grade in those with and without dysfunctional voiding. The difference in costs in the 2 groups increased from 18.7% for grade 1 reflux to 62.1% for grade 5. Sensitivity analysis was performed, in which the risk of urinary tract infection, rate of surgical resolution, incidence of dysfunctional voiding and discount rate varied. The cost in children with dysfunctional voiding remained higher in all scenarios studied, showing the robustness of the model. CONCLUSIONS: Dysfunctional voiding substantially increases the costs of treating children with vesicoureteral reflux due to the higher rate of urinary tract infection in children with dysfunctional voiding. Methods that would decrease the rate of urinary tract infection in children with dysfunctional voiding and vesicoureteral reflux would lead to a significant saving of health care dollars.

Health-related consequences of overactive bladder.

OBJECTIVE: Overactive bladder (OAB) is a condition of urgency, with or without urge incontinence, usually with frequency and nocturia. This study assesses whether people with OAB are at greater risk for urinary tract infections (UTIs), falls and injuries, and increased number of visits to the doctor compared to age- and gender-matched controls. The study also estimates costs associated with these health-related consequences. PATIENTS & METHODS: A US representative telephone survey under the National Overactive Bladder Evaluation (NOBLE) Program was conducted with 5204 English-speaking adults older than 18 years. The survey asked respondents about bladder symptoms. Based on the telephone survey, 865 symptom-identified OAB cases and 903 age- and gender-matched controls were sent a postal questionnaire. A total of 397 cases and 522 controls returned the questionnaires. Nonrespondent cases and controls did not differ with regard to age, gender, educational status, diabetes, congestive heart failure, and self-rated health status. Regression analyses were conducted to assess the effect of OAB on health-related consequences, controlling for age, gender, race, education, marital status, number of previous births, self-reported health status, diabetes, and congestive heart failure. RESULTS: People with OAB reported 0.84 (20%) more visits to the physician (P < .05) and 0.21 (138%) more UTIs in the last year than people without OAB (P < .001). Overactive bladder cases also had over twice the odds of being injured in a fall than people without OAB (odds ratio = 2.26; 95% confidence interval 1.46, 3.51). Consistent with having more falls, OAB cases had an increased risk of bone fracture (P < .1). This effect, however, was not statistically significant (at alpha level 0.05) due to the limited sample size. The estimated cost of UTIs associated with OAB was approximately $1.37 billion US dollars in year 2000. The cost of falls without bone fracture due to OAB was $55 million. Falls with bone fracture accounted for approximately $386 million; however, further research with a larger sample is needed to accurately estimate these costs. CONCLUSION: People with OAB self-report significantly more UTIs and a greater risk of being injured in a fall. Given the large prevalence of UTIs and concerns of overprescribing antibiotics, these results are important for health plans and policy makers. In addition, people with OAB visit their physicians more often than people without OAB. These consequences entail significant economic costs, of which a large percentage will be incurred by health plans. To the extent that OAB causes these consequences, there may be significant savings from effectively treating OAB.

Economics of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in older people.

Urinary incontinence is an area of clinical and social importance to older people and providers of care. This article provides an update on the 'symptom' of urinary incontinence and reviews the concept of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The challenges facing health services researchers working in this field are also discussed in terms of trying to quantify the size and extent of the underlying problem. Economic issues and work undertaken to evaluate the cost of LUTS are appraised and the common nonsurgical treatments for LUTS are described together with associated conditions and their cost implications. The cost to individuals and society of LUTS is generally underestimated and the importance of reducing its severity (if cure is not achievable) makes clinical and economic sense.

Current trends in management of men with lower urinary tract symptoms and benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Management of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) has been central to urology for decades. The urologic community has increasingly come to realize that many men with LUTS do not have prostate enlargement and do not need their prostates debulked surgically. Of all the factors that have emerged to alter the trends associated with management of LUTS and BPH, none has had more impact than the advent of medical therapy. The selective, long-acting, alpha1-blocking agents terazosin, doxazosin, and tamsulosin have become most popular because of their specificity in the urinary tract, reduced side effects, and simplicity of dosage. In addition, finasteride, a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor, was found to be effective in men with prostates of > or = 40 g. Furthermore, the larger the prostate at baseline, the greater the efficacy of finasteride on symptom relief and flow rate improvement. In addition to medical therapy, an array of device therapies has emerged in the management of LUTS and BPH. Laser prostatectomy is the oldest of the device therapies and includes transurethral vaporization of the prostate (VLAP), transurethral evaporation of the prostate (TUEP), and transurethral interstitial laser prostatectomy (TILP). Studies report beneficial outcomes approaching those achieved with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) with less morbidity and a shorter hospital stay. Common diseases contribute the most to national healthcare expenditures. The management of LUTS and BPH are such disorders and result in the expenditure of vast healthcare resources worldwide. The surgical strategies have an established record of outcomes documenting their potential for symptom relief and the avoidance of future complications. Medical and device therapies, although currently promising and attractive, therefore must prove comparable durability.

The medical management of lower urinary tract symptoms and benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Prostatism is a widely used term assigned to the symptom complex of older men with voiding dysfunction. The cause of the syndrome has routinely been ascribed to an enlarged prostate. More recent thinking recognizes that many men with such symptoms do not, in fact, have prostate enlargement or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and that such symptoms are not a surrogate for BPH. Such recognition is essential if cost effective medical management of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is to be achieved. Prostate volume has emerged as a key factor in the selection of medical therapy of LUTS and BPH not only regarding symptom relief but also to the newer concept of the prevention of disease progression and the avoidance of future adverse events in those men with true BPH. In the United States, medical management is now first line therapy for LUTS. The proper selection of therapy based on the patient's individual pathophysiologic characteristics is now made possible by many new recent studies within the medical literature.