PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Gudula J.A.M. Boon
AU  - Wilbert B. van den Hout
AU  - Stefano Barco
AU  - Harm Jan Bogaard
AU  - Marion Delcroix
AU  - Menno V. Huisman
AU  - Stavros V. Konstantinides
AU  - Lilian J. Meijboom
AU  - Esther J. Nossent
AU  - Petr Symersky
AU  - Anton Vonk Noordegraaf
AU  - Frederikus A. Klok
TI  - A model for estimating the health economic impact of earlier diagnosis of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension
AID  - 10.1183/23120541.00719-2020
DP  - 2021 Jul 01
TA  - ERJ Open Research
PG  - 00719-2020
VI  - 7
IP  - 3
4099  - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/7/3/00719-2020.short
4100  - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/7/3/00719-2020.full
SO  - erjor2021 Jul 01; 7
AB  - Background Diagnostic delay of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) exceeds 1 year, contributing to higher mortality. Health economic consequences of late CTEPH diagnosis are unknown. We aimed to develop a model for quantifying the impact of diagnosing CTEPH earlier on survival, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and healthcare costs.Material and methods A Markov model was developed to estimate lifelong outcomes, depending on the degree of delay. Data on survival and quality of life were obtained from published literature. Hospital costs were assessed from patient records (n=498) at the Amsterdam UMC – VUmc, which is a Dutch CTEPH referral center. Medication costs were based on a mix of standard medication regimens.Results For 63-year-old CTEPH patients with a 14-month diagnostic delay of CTEPH (median age and delay of patients in the European CTEPH Registry), lifelong healthcare costs were estimated at EUR 117 100 for a mix of treatment options. In a hypothetical scenario of maximal reduction of current delay, improved survival was estimated at a gain of 3.01 life-years and 2.04 QALYs. The associated cost increase was EUR 44 654, of which 87% was due to prolonged medication use. This accounts for an incremental cost–utility ratio of EUR 21 900/QALY.Conclusion Our constructed model based on the Dutch healthcare setting demonstrates a substantial health gain when CTEPH is diagnosed earlier. According to Dutch health economic standards, additional costs remain below the deemed acceptable limit of EUR 50 000/QALY for the particular disease burden. This model can be used for evaluating cost-effectiveness of diagnostic strategies aimed at reducing the diagnostic delay.This constructed model based on the Dutch healthcare setting can be used for evaluating cost-effectiveness of diagnostic strategies aimed at reducing the diagnostic delay of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension https://bit.ly/35yXPM3