Published: 01-07-2019

The heoro.com database is updated daily from a systematic search of PubMed for studies relevant to health economics and outcomes research.

In this blog we summarise some of the most important and interesting studies added throughout the month of July 2019.

Studies reporting utilities

• Mean SF-36 scores for pain were 84 in a systematic review of Huntington's disease, significantly worse than the general population; 41.3% of patients reported pain. Sprenger 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Mean EQ-5D utility value was 0.63 (SD 0.28) in adults newly diagnosed with ADHD in Sweden; low EQ-5D scores were associated with high MADRS depression scores. Ahnemark 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The EQ-5D showed sensitivity to clinically-meaningful change after total knee arthroplasty in the UK but the PROMIS-10 was more responsive. Shim 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• SF-36 and SGRQ scores were significantly lower in elderly patients with Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary infection than population norms in Japan. Asakura 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• A systematic review found that mean SF-36 scores were 46.10 for PCS and 50.37 for MCS in people with systemic lupus erythematosus. Gu 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• An exercise program for 6 months increased SF-36 MCS and CES-D scores in older adults with limited mobility in the USA and Sweden, adding nutritional supplements did not further increase quality of life. von Berens 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• A systematic review found that diabetic foot ulcers are associated with significantly lower physical functioning, role physical, general health and vitality SF-36 subscale values. Khunkaew 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• A systematic review found that SF-12 and SF-36 scores improved significantly across most domains after surgery for endometriosis, with the greatest improvement in the bodily pain domain. Arcoverde 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• A systematic review found marked variation in quality of life scores in spinal muscular atrophy, with mean EQ-5D values in adults reported as -0.01 to 0.16. Landfeldt 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• SF-6D utility values were reduced with increasing severity of skin irritation in adults with stomas in the USA. Nichols 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• The EQ-5D was found to be the optimal measure of health state utility values in people with breast cancer in China, followed by the SF-6D, then the TTO. Li 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• The EQ-5D and SF-6D were validated against the SF-12 in adults with low back pain in China. Cheung 2019 Go to paper on PubMed

Studies validating a PRO instrument

• The online Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC-26) was validated against the phone version in men undergoing treatment for localised prostate cancer in the USA. Einstein 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Breast Cancer Symptom Index (NFBSI-16) and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function Short Form 10b were validated in women with advanced breast cancer in the USA. Krohe 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• The National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire 25 was validated in people with eye disorders in Spain. Alvarez-Peregrina 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Sexual Health Questionnaire (EORTC SHQ-22) was validated in people with cancer internationally. Oberguggenberger 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Manchester Respiratory-related Sleep Symptoms scale (MaRSS) was validated against the Sleep Problems Index, St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and FACIT-Fatigue scale in UK adults with COPD. Khan 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The DAWN2 Impact of Diabetes Profile (DIDP) was validated in adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes in Australia. Holmes-Truscott 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Measurement equivalence was demonstrated for the Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire (QOLCE-16) in children with epilepsy in Canada. Goodwin 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• A systematic review concluded that the SF-36 and Carotid Stenosis Specific Outcome Measure (CSSOM) were the most useful QoL measures in carotid artery stenosis but did not cover all relevant aspects of QoL in this population. Aber 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• The QLQ-AA/PNH was validated as a measure of quality of life in people with aplastic anaemia and/or paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria in Germany. Niedeggen 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Lupus Foundation of America rapid evaluation of activity in lupus (LFA-REAL™) was validated against the SF-36 in people with SLE in the USA. Askanase 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Disablement in the Physically Active Scale and its short forms DPA SF-10 and DPA SF-8 were validated in US patients with musculoskeletal disabilities. Baker 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• The DEMQOL and DEMQOL-proxy were validated in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers in Germany. Schwab 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• A knee survey instrument was validated as a measure of patient satisfaction after total knee arthroplasty in the USA. Kunze 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• A Spanish version of the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL; Medición de la Calidad de Vida en Relación a la Voz, MCV-RV) was validated in people with voice disorders in Chile. Contreras 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• A systematic review concluded that the ICECAP-O has been validated as a measure of capability and is increasingly being used in economic evaluations. Proud 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• The AQUAREL questionnaire was validated against the SF-36 in people  in Indonesia with permanent pacemakers. Yamin 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• A systematic review found that bolt-on dimensions for the EQ-5D usually improved its psychometric performance but they have not been fully assessed for responsiveness, reliability and known group validity. Kangwanrattanakul 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• The neurogenic bladder symptom score questionnaire (NBSS) was validated against the Qualiveen-SF in people with multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injuries in Brazil. Cintra 2019 Go to paper on PubMed

Other PRO studies

• Quality of life, on the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CR29, was worse with cetuximab than bevcacizumab in metastatic colorectal cancer in Portugal. Marques 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Anlotinib improved quality of life on the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-LC13 compared with placebo in advanced non-small cell lung cancer after at least 2 chemotherapy or targeted therapy regimens in China. Si 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Quality of life on the Scoliosis Research Society Outcome Questionaire 22 (SRS-22) was significantly improved 2 years after spinal surgery for lumbosacral spondylolisthesis in young people under 25 years in North America. Bourassa-Moreau 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• A systematic review concluded that oral health-related quality of life worsens before surgery but then improves post-operatively in people having orthodontic-surgical treatment of dentofacial deformities. Yi 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Quality of life, sleep disturbances and daytime fatigue improve within 6 months of withdrawal of zopiclone, zolpidem and temazepam in older adults with primary insomnia in Finland. Lahteenmaki 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• A systematic review concluded that less than one third of patients with breast cancer in the Middle East had a good quality of life. Hashemi 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Patient-reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) outcomes were better after limb salvage than amputation in US patients with nonmetastatic sarcomas; emotional health was better than the US general population. Wilke 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• COPD phenotypes can be identified by differences on COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and St George's Respiratory Questionnaire scores; those who had exacerbator with chronic bronchitis phenotype had the worst scores in Malaysia. Chai 2019 Go to paper on PubMed

Studies reporting costs and resource use

• After implementation of the China-Gates TB program, hospital admissions, outpatient visits and medication adherence increased more in people with TB with extreme or moderate poverty than no poverty, showing greater healthcare equity. Dong 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Short Physical Performance Battery scores predicted hospitalisation rate, length of admission and mortality in older adults with heart failure in the UK. Hornsby 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Mean cost of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer was $73,586 per elderly patient in the USA; median survival was 7 months, 51% received no chemotherapy. Aly 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Hospitalisation rates were similar but length of stay significantly shorter in adults receiving rivaroxaban for venous thromboembolism compared with standard anticoagulants. Mantovani 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Patients who have intraoperative and early postoperative periprosthetic hip fractures after hip arthroplasty in the USA incur greater costs and resource use than those with no fracture, which are sustained for 1 year. Chitnis 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• A systematic review found that vitamin C reduced the length of stay in ICU by 8% and reduced the length of mechanical ventilation by 18%. Hemila 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• The cost savings per month from use of biosimilar rituximab is €274 and trastuzumab is €3283 to 6310 compared with branded products in follicular lymphoma and breast cancer in Italy. Giuliani 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• A systematic review concluded that total direct costs in the USA were $12,509 for all patients with rheumatoid arthritis and $36,053 for those using biological DMARDs; more than half were RA-specific costs. Hresko 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Robotic hepatectomy was associated with higher costs but shorter length of stay and faster return to normal activities than standard hepatectomy in Taiwan. Wu 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• A systematic review found costs of bronchiectasis were driven by hospitalisations: mean 0.3 to 1.3 admissions/patient/year or 1.8 to 25.7 admissions/100,000 population with mean duration 2 to 17 days. Goeminne 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Use of biologics in juvenile idiopathic arthritis in Spain increased from 24% in 2000 to 65% in 2014; remission occurred in 25.7% who started 16 years, serious adverse events occurred in 41.4/1,000 patient-years.  Bethencourt Baute 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Hospitalisation costs due to healthcare-associated infections from multidrug-resistant organisms in China in 2015 was $6128 per patient compared with $2274 for controls, pGo to paper on PubMed
• Mean direct costs of care for children with Dravet syndrome in Germany were €6043 per 3 months per patient, total indirect costs were €4399 in mothers and €391 in fathers. Strzelczyk 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• A systematic review found that annual hospital costs for heart failure were $176,000 for infants and $132,000 for children aged 1 to 10 years, with mean length of stay of 26 days in infants and 15 days in older children. Burch 2019 Go to paper on PubMed

Economic evaluations

• Ureteroscopy was more cost-effective than medical expulsive therapy or observation in children in the USA with distal ureteral stones, with a lower cost per pain-free days. Chan 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Internet-based CBT was no more effective but no more costly than usual care for depression in Swedish primary care patients, with no difference in QALYs or BDI scores. Holst 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Pembrolizumab is cost-effective in advanced recurrent microsatellite instability-high endometrial cancer compared with bevacizumab or doxorubicin in the USA, ICER $147,249/2-yr survivor; bevacizumab is more cost-effective in non-MSI-H disease. Barrington 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Caries prevention program with biannual fluoride varnish for toddlers was not cost-effective in Sweden compared with usual preventive care, with an ICER of €280 to €469/event prevented. Anderson 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Adding hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC)  to interval debulking surgery is cost-effective in epithelial ovarian cancer in the USA compared with debulking surgery alone, with an ICER of $2436/QALY gained. Lim 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Indacaterol/glycopyrrolate inhalation powder is cost-effective in moderate-severe COPD in the USA, with a lower cost per exacerbation prevented compared with placebo than for other comparators. Rajagopalan 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Glucosamine sulfate is cost-effective in osteoarthritis with an ICER of €11,535 at 3 years compared with placebo in Belgium; other glucosamine formulations are not cost-effective. Bruyere 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• A screen and treat approach for H pylori in symptomatic adults in China was cost-saving and increased QALYs and survival from gastric cancer, peptic ulcers and dyspepsia compared with no screening. Chen 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• A systematic review of economic evaluations of ophthalmic drugs found that cost-utility models with a health service perspective and time horizon longer than 1 year had fewest methodological limitations. Ribeiro 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Dapagliflozin was more cost-effective than metformin in type 2 diabetes in China, with an ICER of 10,729 yuan/QALY gained. Cai 2019 Go to paper on PubMed

Studies reporting mortality rates or trends

• 90-month rates of second primary malignancy after multiple myeloma in the USA was 4.7% in 1999-5-99, 6.0% in 2000-2004 and 6.3% in 2005-09; overall mortality from myeloma declined sharply over time. Costa 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Mortality in children after heart transplant was higher in those with congenital heart disease than cardiomyopathy or myocarditis in the USA, with greater hospital resource use and costs. Burstein 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Prevalence of gastrointestinal bleed was 3% in adults over 65 years admitted to internal medicine wards since 2008; mortality was 3% in-hospital and 9% at 3 months. Lenti 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Case fatality rate was 8% in children aged 0 to 59 months with moderate to severe diarrhoea in Mozambique, with 10.2 deaths/1000 person-weeks at risk. Acacio 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Survival in patients with lupus nephritis in Japan was 99.3% at 5 years, 94.6% at 10 years, 92.0% at 15 years and 85.4% at 20 years. Ichinose 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Changes to the FIGO and WHO classifications of ovarian cancer moved 4.2% of patients in Spain from stage IIIC to IIIA or B, with better prognosis. Gomes Ferreira 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Mortality in patients in Ghana treated for TB was 5.5% in those who were HIV-negative and 21.5% in those HIV-positive in 2013 to 2015; only 3.7% of dually-infected patients started antiretroviral therapy during TB treatment. Ogyiri 2019 Go to paper on PubMed