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Blog - New studies added during January 2021

Published: 08-01-2021

We run a search of PubMed every day to find newly-indexed articles relevant to health economics and outcomes research. In this blog, we summarise some of the key papers that have been added during January 2021.

 

Studies reporting utilities

  •  The EQ-5D-5L and EQ-5D-3L both demonstrated validity and responsiveness in older adults with substantial multimorbidity and polypharmacy. Bhadhuri 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • EQ-5D values improved significantly with biological DMARD therapy for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis in Brazil after 6 to 12 months. Alves de Oliveira Jr. 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • A systematic review found that utility weights declined consistently with increasing severity of chronic kidney disease, measured on the EQ-5D, SF-6D, HUI2 and HUI3. Cooper 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • The Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) was mapped onto the Assessment of Quality of Life 8D (AQoL-8D) utility scores in adults with cardiomyopathy in Australia. Catchpool 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • SF-6D utility scores in survivors of colorectal cancer in China improved by a mean 0.042 with a diet and physical activity intervention and by 0.039 after physical activity alone after 12 months. Ho 2020 Go to paper on PubMed 
  • DALYs lost to lung cancer due to residential radon exposure in Korea increased from 64.62/100,000 patients in 2006 to 86.99/100,000 in 2015, at a cost of US$292 million. Noh 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • SF-36-based utility values were reduced by 0.03 in low-risk gamblers, 0.057 in moderate-risk and 0.181 in problem gamblers in Australia compared with non-problem or non gamblers. Moayeri 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Mean EQ-5D scores were 0.6 (SD 0.3) index score and 67.4 (19.8) EQ-VAS score in patients with ankylosing spondylitis in Korea; gastrointestinal adverse events from NSAIDs significantly reduced quality of life. Lee 2020 Go to paper on PubMed

Studies validating a PRO instrument

  • The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy General (FACT-G) were mapped to the EQ-5D-5L index in patients with cancer in Japan. Hagiwara 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • The Voice Handicap Index (VHI), Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Head & Neck (FACT-H&N), European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Head and Neck (EORTC QLQ-H&N35) and University of Washington Quality of Life (UW-QOL) were validated in people undergoing speech rehabilitation after total laryngectomy in Brazil. Raquel 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • The four healthy days measures (HRQOL-4) was validated against a single measure of self-rated general health in the US general population. Dumas 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • The AOSpine PROST was validated against the SF-36 in patients with spinal trauma in the USA. Sadiqi 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • The Inventory to Measure and Assess imaGe disturbancE-Head & Neck (IMAGE-HN) was validated in people with head and neck cancer in the USA. Graboyes 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Satisfaction (ICIQ-S) was validated against the ICIQ-Male Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS), International Prostate Symptom Score, and the ICIQ-LUTS Quality of Life in men after urological surgery for prostatic hypertrophy in the UK. Uren 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • The Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS-SR) was validated against the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) in people with panic disorder in China. Liu 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • The Spanish Orthognathic Quality of Life Questionnaire was validated against the OHIP and SF-36 in adults with dentofacial deformities in Chile. Duarte 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • The Integrated Palliative Outcome Scale (IPOS) was validated against the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) and the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) in the Czech Republic. Vlckova 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-BR45 was developed as an update to the QLQ-BR23 in women with breast cancer internationally. Bjelic-Radisic 2020 Go to paper on PubMed 

Other PRO studies

  •  International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) Questionnaire scores deteriorated in men after laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer in Japan but recovered by 12 months with no further improvement. Sakamoto 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bladder scores were not significantly different in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy before radical cystectomy vs cystectomy alone. Kitamura 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • A core outcome set was developed for people undergoing major lower limb amputation for peripheral vascular disease in the UK. Ambler 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • EORTC QLQ-C30 scores were impaired within 8 weeks of a diagnosis of advanced cancer and was very low in 18.5% of patients in Germany and Switzerland; women had more anxiety and fatigue than men. Siemens 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • EORTC QLQ-C30 scores were lower in patients with cancer in Ethiopia than in matched patients in Germany; QoL scores were strongly correlated with fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Wondie 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • A systematic review concluded that non-pharmacological interventions such as pulmonary rehabilitation, breathing exercises and training improve quality of life in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Hindelang 2020 Go to paper on PubMed

Studies reporting costs and resource use

  • Total cost of care for firearm-related injuries in 308 children and adolescents in the USA was $26million between 2008 and 2018; 52% required major surgery, 14% were readmitted due to complications after 1 year and 11% died. Phillips 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • 30-day readmission rate was 16.3% after surgery in the USA overall, 13.3% in those with adequate health literacy scores vs 22.5% in those with low health literacy. Baker 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Societal costs due to prostate cancer in Stockholm, Sweden in 2016 were €64million, 62% of which was direct costs, 28% informal care and 10% productivity losses. Hao 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Total monthly costs of healthcare were $13,000 to $34,000 higher in women with HER2+ breast cancer with metastatic disease than those with no metastases in the USA, with 3-year cumulative costs of $412,903 after diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer. Sussell 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Mean healthcare costs up to 24 months after injury were €12,190 in older adults in the Netherlands; 72% of cases were due to falls and 15% traffic injury. van der Vlegel 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Societal costs of low back pain in Spain in 2017 were estimated at €8,945.6 million, of which 74.5% were indirect costs, the equivalent to 0.68% of GDP. Alonso-Garcia 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Between 2006 and 2015, cancer-related DALYs in EU5 fell by 9.3%, drug costs per patient increased 5.1% per year but overall patient cancer costs fell by 1.4% over 10 years. Schlueter 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Using Mendelian randomisation and genetic models, the cost of each 1 unit increase in BMI is €280 per year in additional healthcare costs in Germany, compared with €75 with linear regression. Kurz 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Older men in the US with abdominal aortic calcification scores >9 had $1473 higher adjusted annual healthcare costs than those with a score 0-1; those with an ankle-brachial index Go to paper on PubMed
  • Total charges for revision total hip arthroplasty in the US increased 67.4% per patient from 2005 to $86,791 in 2014; reimbursement increased 61.4% to $20,090 per patient in 2014. DeGouveia 2020 Go to paper on PubMed 
  • Median cost of tuberculosis care in Lao was US$755 in 2018-19, 46.6% due to direct non-medical costs, mainly nutritional supplements, and 37.6% income loss; 62.6% of affected households faced catastrophic costs. Chittamany 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • A meta-analysis found that use of mobile apps significantly and consistently improves medication adherence in adults with chronic disease. Peng 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Total claimed hospital charges decreased by 6.3% in April-May 2020 in Japan compared with the previous year in hospitals without COVID-19 patients due to less elective surgery, with an additional decrease of 5.5 million JPY per COVID-19 patient. Shin 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • A systematic review found costs of tuberculosis ranged from US$400 for drug-susceptible to >US$10,000 for multi-drug resistant TB in Russia and Central Asia; costs of other respiratory diseases were scarce. Tabyshova 2020 Go to paper on PubMed

Economic evaluations

  • Targeted screening for pulmonary tuberculosis is cost-effective in Germany in asylum seekers from countries with an incidence of TB of 50 to 250/100,000, with an ICER of €15,000 to €17,000/additional case found. Wahedi 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Pembrolizumab plus axitinib is unlikely to be cost-effective as first-line therapy in advanced renal cell carcinoma in the USA, with an ICER of $172,532/QALY compared with nivolumab plus ipilimumab. Watson 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Modafinil is cost-effective in post-stroke fatigue in working-age adults in Australia, with a mean cost of AUD$3.60 for a minimally clinically important change of 10 points in the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) score, and saving almost AUD$467 million in productivity losses over 1 year nationally. Bajorek 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Universal vaccination of college students pre-enrollment for meningitis B was not cost-effective in the USA overall, with an ICER of $748,129/QALY gained, but could be cost-saving during an outbreak. Chung 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Adding MDMA to psychotherapy is cost-effective for severe chronic PTSD in the USA, with an ICER of $26,427/QALY gained compared with placebo plus psychotherapy. Marseille 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Based on cost per DALY, phacoemulsification is more cost-effective than small incision cataract surgery in Indonesia. Rochmah 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Adding atezolizumab to nab-paclitaxel is not cost-effective for advanced triple-negative breast cancer in Singapore, with an ICER of S$324,550/QALY gained. Phua 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Eltrombopag is cost-effective for immune thrombocytopenia in the USA, with similar QALYs and LYG but lower costs than romiplostim. Tremblay 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Tisagenlecleucel may not be cost-effective compared with usual care in high-risk relapsed paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in Canada, with an ICER of CaD$71,000 to $281,000/QALY gained. Furzer 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • A brief motivational intervention was cost-effective for patients hospitalised following trauma due to drug or alcohol use in Spain, with a cost-benefit ratio of 74.92 after 4 years. Cordovilla-Guardia 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Screening all adults over 40 years for gastric cancer in Korea reduces standardised mortality rate ratio to 0.62 compared with no screening at a cost of US$20,309 per 1 life-year saved. Suh 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Epilepsy surgery was not cost-effective in children with drug-resistant focal epilepsy in Thailand, with an ICER of US$22,793/QALY compared with medical therapy and US$101 per 1% reduction in seizures. Anurat 2020 Go to paper on PubMed

Studies reporting mortality rates and trends

  • Mortality in people with COVID-19 in Italy was independently predicted by male sex (OR 2.63, 95%CI 1.42-4.90; p = 0.001), chronic liver disease (OR 5.88, 95%CI 2.39-14.46; p<0.001) and malignancies (OR 2.62, 95%CI 1.21-5.68; p = 0.015). Galiero 2020 Go to paper on PubMed 
  • Mortality in patients with COVID-19 treated in intensive care in the Netherlands was 26%, 96% had mechanical ventilation for an average of 15 days. Aleva 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • During lockdown for COVID-19 in India, patients with acute myocardial infarction were less likely to have urgent PCI within 12 hours and more likely to have thrombolysis; in-hospital mortality from acute coronary syndrome increased from 2.69% before COVID-19 to 7.27% during lockdown. Choudhary 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Patients with COVID-19 who were randomised to hydroxychloroquine in the UK had similar 28-day mortality, longer admission and were more likely to need mechanical ventilation than those receiving usual care. Horby 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • 21% of patients admitted with COVID-19 in South Africa had HIV; mortality was 25% in those with and without HIV infection. Parker 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • A meta-analysis found that COVID-19 patients with elevated troponin I levels had a higher risk of admission to ICU, invasive mechanical ventilation and mortality. Malik 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • In-hospital mortality from COVID-19 was 13.2% in the Democratic Republic of Congo, independently predicted by age 40 years, obesity and chronic kidney disease. Nachega 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Of patients with COVID-19 infection who had prior solid organ transplantation in the USA, 77% were hospitalised, 35% required ITU care and 16% died. Roberts 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Anosmia was independently associated with lower adjusted mortality and need for intensive care in people with COVID-19 in Spain. Yalavera 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • The COVID-19 Mortality Risk (CMR) tool was validated as a predictor of mortality, with AUCs of 0.81 to 0.92 on validation cohorts internationally. Bertsimas 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • In France, 12.4% of COVID-19 deaths in March and April 2020 occurred at home as out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. Hubert 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Mortality in patients with bullous pemphigoid in Thailand was 28.1% at 1 year, 55.7% at 3 years and 71.9% at 5 years; median age at onset was 82 years. Amonchaisakda 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • All-cause mortality after 4.9 years was 1.4% in obese patients after bariatric surgery in Canada compared with 2.5% in matched controls with no surgery, HR 0.68 (95%CI 0.57 to 0.81). Doumouras 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Adult and child mortality fell in Iran from 1979 to 2019; in 2019 child mortality was 16/1000 live births, life expectancy was 81.6 years for females and 76.1 years for males. Ebrahimi 2020 Go to paper on PubMed
  • Actuarial survival of infants born before 26 weeks' gestation in Canada showed a steep increase in survival during the first 7-10 postnatal days; survival was 32% at gestational age 22 weeks and 83% at 25 weeks. Shah 2020 Go to paper on PubMed