Published: 01-11-2018

The heoro.com database is a collection of studies relevant to health economics and outcomes research, based on a daily search of the PubMed database. 

Here, we summarise some of the key abstracts added in November 2018.

Studies reporting utility values

• EQ-5D values recovered over time to be similar to the general population by 5 years after breast cancer surgery in Korea, but anxiety, depression and pain remained worse Yu 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The EQ-5D was mapped to the HAQ and disease activity scales in patients with psoriatic arthritis in the Czech Republic. Mlcoch 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
•  A systematic review found that SF-36 and WHOQOL scores showed large differences when mapped to International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health measures of activity and participation in adults with coronary artery disease. Le 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Median Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI-3) scores were  0.82 (IQR 0.69 to 0.91) and Dry Eye-Related Quality-of-Life Score (DEQS) was 21.7 (IQR 10.0 to 40.0) in Japanese adults with dry eye syndromes. Shigeyasu 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• SF-36 and Patient Health Questionnaire-15  and -9 scores were significantly worse in US patients with sickle cell disease who were taking daily opioids at a dose greater than 90 morphine milligram equivalents compared with those with less pain. Karafin 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• A systematic review found that SF-36 values are worse than the general population in patients with active ulcerative colitis but not in those with inactive disease. Yarlas 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• A Dutch value set for the Child Health Utility 9D (CHU-9D) was developed from adults in the general population of the Netherlands. Rowen 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Brunei-Malay SF-36 was validated in patients with chronic kidney disease and healthy adults in Brunei. Alhaji 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• EQ-5D values and anxiety scores improved more with spa therapy than etodolac in elderly patients with osteoarthritis in Turkey. Ozkuk 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• A systematic review compiled a set of utility values for metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer, based on EQ-5D, standard gamble, time trade-off, SF-12 and Assessment of Quality of Life instrument scores. Paracha 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Symptom Frequency Questionnaire (GSFQ) was mapped to utility values on the EQ-5D and SF-6D in patients with GERD in Spain. Monroy 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Mean utility value in Canadian patients with traumatic spinal cord injury in the community was 0.64 and did not vary by injury level or severity. Iorio-Morin 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Mean utility values on the EQ-5D were 0.41 +/- 0.36 in  multiple sclerosis and 0.41 +/- 0.32 in neuromyelitis optica spectrum diseases  (NMOSD) in Thailand. Siritho 2018 Go to paper on PubMed

Studies validating a patient-reported outcome tool

• The King's Brief Interstitial Lung Disease questionnaire (K-BILD) was validated against the EQ-5D in patients with interstitial lung diseases in Germany. Szentes 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Dysphagia in Multiple Sclerosis (DYMUS) questionnaire was validated against the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10), and the Swallowing-Quality of Life (SWAL-QoL) in patients with MS in Greece. Printza 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Kessler Scale of Psychological Distress was validated in adults with traumatic brain injury in Tanzania. Vissoci 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The SF-36 was validated against the Kaasa Test and Cantril's Ladder in adults with lymphedema cholestasis in Norway. Iversen 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Hospital Frailty Risk Score was validated against the Rockwell and Fried frailty scores and predicts 30-day mortality and length of hospital stay in the UK. Gilbert 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Portuguese Immunosuppressant Therapy Adherence Scale (ITAS) was validated against the Basel Assessment of Adherence with Immunosuppressive Medications Scale (BAASIS) in patients with liver transplantation in Brazil. Jesus-Nunes 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Chiari Symptom Profile (CSP)  was validated against the sickness impact profile 30 (SIP-30) in patients with Arnold Chiari malformation in Spain. Martinez-Sabater 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Low Anterior Resection Syndrome Score was validated in patients with rectal cancer in Japan. Akizuki 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Questionnaire of sexual quality of life perceived by patients with cutaneous and/or articular psoriasis (Qualipsosex) was developed for use in patients with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis in France. Esteve 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Brighton musculoskeletal Patient-Reported Outcome Measure (BmPROM) was validated against the SF-36 in patients receiving physiotherapy for musculoskeletal disorders in the UK. Bryant 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The  brief Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire (QOLCE-16) was validated against the QOLCE-55 and QOLCE-76 in children with epilepsy in Canada. Goodwin 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Portuguese Vascular Quality of Life Questionnaire (VascuQoL-6) was validated against the WHOQOL in patients with peripheral arterial disease and intermittent claudication in Brazil. de Almeida Correia 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Stoma-QOL was validated in patients who had ileostomy or colostomy for colorectal cancer in Canada. Lai 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The HEADWORK questionnaire was validated as a measure of the impact of migraine on work-related difficulties in adults in Italy. Raggi 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The WHO-5 well-being index was validated in patients with epilepsy in Denmark. Schougaard 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Older People's Quality Of Life questionnaire (OPQOL) was validated in older adults in Iran. Nikkhah 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The PROMIS emotional distress-Depression and -Anxiety Short Forms were validated in women in the USA with cervical cancer undergoing telephone counselling; 45% had moderate-severe anxiety and 47% depression at baseline. Wilford 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• A systematic review found that the only validated instruments used to assess quality of life for survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were the SF-36 and HUI-3. Haywood 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Minimum Detectable Measurement Difference (MDMD) for the Scoliosis Research Society-22 questionnaire was greater than the Minimum Clinically Important Difference (MCID) of 0.4 in US patients with adult spinal deformity, making it a poor assessment tool for this population.  Kelly 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Localized Scleroderma Cutaneous Assessment Tool (LoSCAT) was validated against the Skindex-29 in adults with localised scleroderma in Poland. Skrzypek-Salamon 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QOL Core Questionnaire 30 (EORTC QLQ-30) was found to assess different constructs of quality of life than the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) in patients with total laryngectomy in Iran. Iravani 2018 Go to paper on PubMed

Other PRO studies

• University of Washington Quality of Life questionnaire scores were similar in patients with head and neck cancer who lived in rural and urban areas of Australia, although pain scores were higher in rural residents. Pateman 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Quality of life scores on the EORTC QLQ-C30 were higher in Nuuk than non-Nuuk adults with advanced cancer in Greenland. Augustussen 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Quality of life, on the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplant (FACT-BMT) questionnaire, was severely impaired 30 days after haematopoietic stem cell transplant in China, but improved significantly by 180 days. Liang 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• A single injection of methylprednisolone significantly improved Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) scores at 6 weeks compared with night splints in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome in the UK. Chesterton 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• A systematic review found impaired quality of life associated with temporomandibular disorders; the SF-36 and OHIP-14 were the most frequently used tools. Bitiniene 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Physical activity improved quality of life on the SF-36, and improved blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk in adults with hypertension in Spain. Arija 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Mean Rhinosinusitis Disability Index score was 36.8 in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis in the US, lower than caregivers' scores and correlating with Caregiver Strain Index scores. Adams 2018 Go to paper on PubMed

Studies reporting costs and resource use

• Median total costs for patients with Crohn's disease in Switzerland were 24 270 CHF in the year after hospitalisation compared with 17 270 CHF in patients with ulcerative colitis. Schoepfer 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• 21% of women with newly diagnosed fibroids in the USA in 2011-16 had a hysterectomy; costs were higher than for myomectomy. Bonafede 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Patients in the UK with COPD who are prescribed inhaled corticosteroids inappropriately do not have reduced healthcare resource use compared with other bronchodilator therapy. Chalmers 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Introduction of the Preferred Drugs Initiative in Ireland led to an increase in cost-effective prescribing between 2011-2016, with greatest increase in prescribing of lansoprazole and venlafaxine. McDowell 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• 40% of US women having chemotherapy for epithelial ovarian cancer had an unplanned hospital admission, lasting a median of 3 days. Race, BMI, hypertension and aspirin use predicted readmission. Dioun 2018 Go to paper on PubMed 
• A systematic review found that the costs of minimally-invasive pancreatic resection for prostate cancer were higher than for open pancreatectomy but there was a trend for this to generate cost-savings in more recent trials. Joechle 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• A systematic review concluded that out-of-pocket costs can affect medication adherence in adults with rheumatoid arthritis. Heidari 2018 Go to paper on PubMed

Economic evaluation studies

• Intravitreal aflibercept every 4 then 8 weeks is cost-effective compared with ranibizumab every 4 weeks for wet age-related macular degeneration in the USA, with an ICER of $2,583/QALY. Hernandez 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Rechargeable deep brain stimulation leads to total cost savings of 8.4 million Yen over 20 years compared with non-rechargeable DBS in patient with Parkinson's disease in Japan. Akazawa 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• High purified human menopausal gonadotropin (HP-hMG) is less expensive and leads to more live births than recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (rFSH) in patients undergoing IVF or ICSI assisted reproduction in France. Barriere 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Bedaquiline is cost-effective for rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in South Africa with an ICER of $US1242/DALY averted compared with kanamycin regimens. Schnippel 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Nurse-led care of gout is cost-effective compared with GP-led care in the UK, improving adherence with medication and with an ICER of £5066/QALY gained. Doherty 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes are cost-effective compared with ipilimumab in metastatic malignant melanoma in the Netherlands, with more QALYs and lower cost. Retel 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Ceritinib is cost-effective in untreated ALK-positive metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer in the USA, with an ICER of $66,064/QALY compared with crizotinib and $81,645/QALY compared with chemotherapy. Zhou 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• A systematic review found that many economic evaluations of vaccines had methodological weaknesses but generally demonstrated cost-effectiveness. Drolet 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Changing from the PCV10 to PCV13 pneumococcal vaccine is cost-effective in Colombia, with an ICER of US$1771 per year of life saved. Castañeda-Orjuela 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Chromosomal Microarray Analysis is a cost-effective first-line testing strategy in children with intellectual disability in the US, with an ICER of $2692 per additional diagnosis compared with karyotyping. Li 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Ventricular assist devices are not cost-effective in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and advanced heart failure in the USA, with an ICER of $179,086/QALY. Magnetta 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Youth Aware of Mental Health (YAM) programme is likely to be the most cost-effective school-based suicide prevention program in Europe; ICERs were  €34.83 per 1% reduction in suicide attempts, €47,017/QALY gained. Ahern 2018 Go to paper on PubMed

Mortality studies 

• Five-year survival in childhood cancer in Spain in 2003 to 2014 was 84% overall, 88% in rural areas and 80% in urban areas. González García 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Mortality in patients with open tibial fractures in Sweden in 1998 to 2010 was 11.3%, which was significantly higher than the general population for all ages and sexes. Tampe 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Ten-year all cause mortality in 2004 to 2015 was 27% for reference cases, 56% for asymptomatic peripheral artery disease, 63% for intermittent claudication, and 75% for severe limb ischaemia in Swedish adults. Sartipy 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Mortality in healthy adults aged over 65-70 years in Australia and the USA was significantly higher in those randomised to low-dose aspirin than placebo, HR after 4.7 years = 1.14, 95%CI 1.01 to 1.29. McNeil 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Infant and child mortality was significantly higher in England than Sweden in 2003 to 2012 with unadjusted hazard ratios of 1.66 (1.53 to 1.81) at 2-27 days to 1.27 (1.15 to 1.40) at 1-4 years of age; most of the difference was due to birth characteristics and socioeconomic factors. Zylbersztejn 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• The Diabetes Complications Severity Index (DCSI) was predictive of mortality, acute coronary syndrome and stroke risk in 84,450 adults with type 2 diabetes in Taiwan between 2000 and 2011. Hu 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Analysis of mortality data from 26 European countries from 1990 to 2012 found a high mortality cluster in Eastern European countries for all ages, and a low mortality cluster in Western European countries for adults aged over 64 years. Carracedo 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Mortality from malignant mesothelioma was highest in the UK in 2013 compared with 29 other countries, with 6.25 deaths per 100,000 men and 1.08/100,000 women; UK rates had fallen over the past 10 years in men but not in women. Abdel-Rahman 2018 Go to paper on PubMed
• Infant mortality rate in Palestinian refugees in the Gaza strip in 2015 was 22.7 (95% CI 17.2-28.1) per 1000 live births, not statistically different from 2006 values. van den Berg 2018 Go to paper on PubMed