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Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes several cancers such as cervical cancer and some head and neck (oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx), vulval, vaginal, anal, and penile cancers. As HPV vaccination is available, there is potential to prevent these cancers attributed to HPV and consequently the burden associated with them. The aim of this analysis was to estimate the number of HPV-related cancer deaths and the productivity costs due to years of life lost (YLL) in the United Kingdom (UK)., Method: A model was developed utilizing UK 2019 mortality data sourced from country-specific databases for England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland for the following HPV-related cancers: head and neck (ICD-10 C00-14 and C32), cervix uteri (C53), vaginal (C51), vulval (C52), anal (C21), and penile (C60). The proportion of deaths and years of life lost (YLL) due to HPV were estimated using HPV attributable fractions for each anatomic location from the published literature. Labor force participation, retirement ages, and mean annual earnings, discounted at 3.5% annually, were applied to YLL to calculate the present value of future lost productivity (PVFLP)., Results: A total of 1817 deaths due to HPV-related cancers were reported in the UK in 2019 resulting in 31,804 YLL. Restricting to only YLL that occurred prior to retirement age yielded a total YPLL of 11,765 and a total PVFLP of £187,764,978., Conclusions: There is a high disease burden in the UK for HPV-related cancers, with a large economic impact on the wider economy due to productivity losses. Implementing and reinforcing public health measures to maintain high HPV vaccination coverage in both males and females may further facilitate reduction of this burden.

The Vaccines Task Force was established by the UK government in March 2020, with the objective of securing early access to effective COVID-19 vaccines for the UK population and internationally. The VTF was successful in securing the earliest access to the Oxford/Astra Zeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines, allowing the UK to be the first country in the world to deploy an approved COVID-19 vaccine. The VTF also played a critical role in supporting efforts to distribute vaccines globally, as one of COVAX's earliest and largest donors. This article presents the perspectives of senior members of the VTF on the features of the task force model which enabled this success, and considers lessons for when and how a similar approach should be applied to other public health and public policy challenges. We seek to identify principles for mission led government, and implications for how the structure and apparatus of governance can be organised to support this, including the application of the Task Force model where appropriate.

Objectives: Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICDs) for primary prevention (PP) of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is underutilized in developing countries. The Improve SCA study has identified a subset of 1.5 primary prevention (1.5PP) patients with a higher risk of SCA and a significant mortality benefit from ICD therapy. From the perspective of China's healthcare system, we evaluated the cost-effectiveness of ICD therapy vs. no ICD therapy among 1.5PP patients with a view to informing clinical and policy decisions., Methods: A published Markov model was adjusted and verified to simulate the course of the disease and describe different health states of 1.5PP patients. The patient characteristics, mortality, utility and complication estimates were obtained from the Improve SCA study and other literature. Cost inputs were sourced from government tender prices, medical service prices and clinical experts' surveys in 9 Chinese public hospitals. For both ICD and no ICD therapy, the total medical costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were modelled over a lifetime horizon and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the uncertainty of the model parameters. We used the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold recommended by China Guidelines for Pharmacoeconomic Evaluations, one to three times China's GDP per capita (CNY85,698-CNY257,094) in 2022 Chinese Yuan., Results: The incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) of ICD therapy compared to no ICD therapy is 139,652 CNY/QALY, which is about 1-2 times China's GDP per capita. The probability that ICD therapy is cost effective was 92.1%. Results from sensitivity analysis supported the findings of the base case., Conclusions: ICD therapy compared to no ICD therapy is cost-effective for the 1.5PP patients in China.

Aim: To quantify the economic burden associated with tobacco smoking among smokers aged 30-69 years, and second-hand smokers (SHS) aged 15-69 years in Jordan., Materials and Methods: A prevalence-based analysis was conducted in alignment with the Economics of Tobacco Toolkit developed by the WHO. The time-horizon of the analysis was one year (2019). Direct and indirect costs were estimated using data from the 2019 Global Burden of Diseases study. The analysis targeted the Jordanian population of smokers aged 30-69 years, and SHS aged 15-69 years. Adjustments were applied for age, gender, and smoking-related diseases. Direct costs were estimated using the smoking-attributable fraction (SAF) and national health expenditures. Indirect costs were divided into morbidity and mortality components. A discount rate of 3.0% and an annual productivity growth rate of 1.0% were assumed in modelling future economic losses. A sensitivity analysis was conducted on the lower and upper estimates of data used in this study., Results: The cost of tobacco smoking and SHS exposure was estimated at US$2,108 million (95% confidence interval [CI] = US$2,003 million-US$2,245 million). This represents 4.7% (95%CI = 4.5%-5.0%) of national gross domestic product (GDP). Direct costs accounted for 3.1% of national GDP. Tobacco smoking accounted for 85.0% of total cost and SHS exposure accounted for 15.0% of total cost. Direct costs accounted for 67.0% of total cost, while indirect morbidity and mortality costs accounted for 9.0% and 24.0% of total cost, respectively. Non-communicable diseases accounted for 96.0% of total direct costs compared to communicable diseases (4.0% of total direct costs)., Conclusions: Smoking cessation interventions such as raising taxes on cigarettes, protecting people from tobacco smoke, warning labels, plain packaging, and bans on advertising, are crucial for controlling national expenditures for treating smoking-related diseases and for averting future economic losses.

Objective: To compare the cost, healthcare utilization, and outcomes between skin and serum-specific IgE (sIgE) allergy testing., Methods: This retrospective cohort study used IBM® MarketScan claims data, from which commercially insured individuals who initiated allergy testing between January 1 and December 31, 2018 with at least 12 months of enrollment data before and after index testing date were included. Cost of allergy testing per patient was estimated by testing pattern: skin only, sIgE only, or both. Multivariable linear regression was used to compare healthcare utilization and outcomes, including office visits, allergy and asthma-related prescriptions, and emergency department (ED) and urgent care (UC) visits between skin and sIgE testing at 1-year post testing (α = 0.05)., Results: The cohort included 168,862 patients, with a mean (SD) age of 30.8 (19.5) years; 100,666 (59.7%) were female. Over half of patients (56.4%, n  = 95,179) had skin only testing, followed by 57,291 patients with sIgE only testing and 16,212 patients with both testing. The average cost of allergy testing per person in the first year was $430 (95% CI $426-433) in patients with skin only testing, $187 (95% CI $183-190) in patients with sIgE only testing, and $532 (95% CI $522-542) in patients with both testing. At 1-year follow-up post testing, there were slight increases in allergy and asthma-related prescriptions, and notable decreases in ED visits by 17.0-17.4% and in UC visits by 10.9-12.6% for all groups (all p  < 0.01). Patients with sIgE-only testing had 3.2 fewer allergist/immunologist visits than patients with skin-only testing at 1-year follow-up ( p  < 0.001). Their healthcare utilization and outcomes were otherwise comparable., Conclusions: Allergy testing, regardless of the testing method used, is associated with decreases in ED and UC visits at 1-year follow-up. sIgE allergy testing is associated with lower testing cost and fewer allergist/immunologist visits, compared to skin testing.

Aims: Point-of-care electroencephalogram (POC-EEG) is an acute care bedside screening tool for the identification of nonconvulsive seizures (NCS) and nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE). The objective of this narrative review is to describe the economic themes related to POC-EEG in the United States (US). Materials and methods: We examined peer-reviewed, published manuscripts on the economic findings of POC-EEG for bedside use in US hospitals, which included those found through targeted searches on PubMed and Google Scholar. Conference abstracts, gray literature offerings, frank advertisements, white papers, and studies conducted outside the US were excluded. Results: Twelve manuscripts were identified and reviewed; results were then grouped into four categories of economic evidence. First, POC-EEG usage was associated with clinical management amendments and antiseizure medication reductions. Second, POC-EEG was correlated with fewer unnecessary transfers to other facilities for monitoring and reduced hospital length of stay (LOS). Third, when identifying NCS or NCSE onsite, POC-EEG was associated with greater reimbursement in Medical Severity-Diagnosis Related Group coding. Fourth, POC-EEG may lower labor costs via decreasing after-hours requests to EEG technologists for conventional EEG (convEEG). Limitations: We conducted a narrative review, not a systematic review. The studies were observational and utilized one rapid circumferential headband system, which limited generalizability of the findings and indicated publication bias. Some sample sizes were small and hospital characteristics may not represent all US hospitals. POC-EEG studies in pediatric populations were also lacking. Ultimately, further research is justified. Conclusions: POC-EEG is a rapid screening tool for NCS and NCSE in critical care and emergency medicine with potential financial benefits through refining clinical management, reducing unnecessary patient transfers and hospital LOS, improving reimbursement, and mitigating burdens on healthcare staff and hospitals. Since POC-EEG has limitations (i.e. no video component and reduced montage), the studies asserted that it did not replace convEEG.

Aim: Albumin role as fluid resuscitation in sepsis remains understudied in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of intravenous (IV) Albumin compared to Crystalloids in sepsis patients using patient-level data in Jordan., Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of sepsis patients aged 18 or older admitted to intensive care units (ICU) at two major tertiary hospitals during the period 2018-2019. Patients information, type of IV fluid, and clinical outcomes were retrieved from medical records, and charges were retrieved from the billing system. A 90-day partitioned survival model with two health states (alive and dead) was constructed to estimate the survival of sepsis patients receiving either Albumin or Crystalloids as IV fluids for resuscitation. Overall survival was predicted by fitting a Weibull model on the patient-level data from the current study. To further validate the results, and to support the assessment of uncertainty, time-dependent transition probabilities of death at each cycle were estimated and used to construct a state-transition patient-level simulation model with 10,000 microsimulation trials. Adopting the healthcare system perspective, incremental cost-effectiveness ratios(ICERs) of Albumin versus Crystalloids were calculated in terms of the probability to be discharged alive from the ICU. Uncertainty was explored using probabilistic sensitivity analysis., Results: In the partitioned survival model, Albumin was associated with an incremental cost of $1,007 per incremental1% in the probability of being discharged alive from the ICU. In the state-transition patient-level simulation model, ICER was $1,268 per incremental 1% in the probability of being discharged alive. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that Albumin was favored at thresholds >$800 per incremental 1%in the probability of being discharged alive from the ICU., Conclusion: IV Albumin use in sepsis patients might not be cost-effective from the healthcare perspective of Jordan. This has important implications for policymakers to readdress Albumin prescribing practice in sepsis patients.

Aim: This study evaluated real-world healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), direct costs, and overall survival (OS) of patients who were Medicare beneficiaries and were newly diagnosed with myelofibrosis (MF) who filled ≥1 prescription of ruxolitinib versus those who did not., Patients and Methods: This was a study of the US Medicare fee-for-service database. Beneficiaries were aged ≥65 years with an MF diagnosis (index) between January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2017. Data were summarized descriptively. OS was estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis., Results: Patients with ≥1 prescription fill of ruxolitinib ( n  = 2,787) had lower mean rates (per patient per month [PPPM]) versus patients who did not fill a prescription for ruxolitinib ( n  = 7,262) for hospitalizations (0.16 vs 0.32), length of inpatient stay (0.16 vs 2.44 days), emergency department visits (0.10 vs 0.14), physician office visits (4.68 vs 6.25), skilled nursing facility stays (0.02 vs 0.12), home health/durable medical equipment services (0.32 vs 0.47), and hospice visits (0.30 vs 1.70). Monthly medical costs were numerically lower in patients who had ≥1 fill of ruxolitinib versus those who did not fill a prescription for ruxolitinib ($6,553 vs $12,929), largely driven by inpatient costs ($3,428 vs $6,689). Pharmacy costs were $10,065 and $987 in patients who filled versus did not fill ≥1 prescription for ruxolitinib, respectively; total PPPM all-cause healthcare costs were $16,618 and $13,916, respectively. The median OS was 37.5 and 18.7 months for the cohorts of patients who filled versus did not fill ≥1 prescription for ruxolitinib, respectively (hazard ratio = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.59 - 0.67)., Conclusions: Ruxolitinib is associated with reduced HCRU and direct costs of medical care in addition to increased survival, suggesting it to be a cost-effective advance for patients with MF.

Aims: In the SUSTAIN 6 cardiovascular outcomes trial, once-weekly semaglutide was associated with a statistically significant reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events compared with placebo. To date, no studies have assessed how accurately existing diabetes models predict the outcomes observed in SUSTAIN 6. The aims of this analysis were to investigate the performance of the IQVIA Core Diabetes Model when used to predict the SUSTAIN 6 trial outcomes, to calibrate the model such that projected outcomes reflected observed outcomes, and to examine the impact of calibration on the cost-effectiveness of once-weekly semaglutide from a UK healthcare payer perspective., Methods: The IQVIA Core Diabetes Model was calibrated to ensure that the projected non-fatal stroke event rates reflected the non-fatal stroke event rates observed in SUSTAIN 6 over a two-year time horizon. Cost-effectiveness analyses of once-weekly semaglutide versus placebo plus standard of care were conducted over a lifetime horizon using the uncalibrated and calibrated models to assess the impact on cost-effectiveness outcomes., Results: To replicate the non-fatal stroke event rate in SUSTAIN 6, calibration of the model through the application of relative risks for stroke of 1.07 and 1.65 with once-weekly semaglutide and placebo, respectively, was required. In the long-term cost-effectiveness analysis, the uncalibrated model projected an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for once-weekly semaglutide versus placebo plus standard of care of GBP 22,262 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained, which fell to GBP 17,594 per QALY gained when the calibrated model was used., Conclusions: The requirement for calibration to replicate the outcomes observed in SUSTAIN 6 suggests that the reductions in risk of cardiovascular complications observed with once-weekly semaglutide cannot be solely explained by differences in conventional risk factors. Accurate estimation of the risk of diabetes-related complications using methods such as calibration is important to ensure accurate cost-effectiveness analyses are conducted.

Background: Targeted germline testing is recommended for those with or at risk of breast, ovarian, or colorectal cancer. The affordability of genetic sequencing has improved over the past decade, therefore the cost-effectiveness of testing for these cancers is worthy of reassessment., Objective: To systematically review economic evaluations on cost-effectiveness of germline testing in breast, ovarian, or colorectal cancer., Methods: A search of PubMed and Embase databases for cost-effectiveness studies on germline testing in breast, ovarian, or colorectal cancer, published between 1999 and May 2022. Synthesis of methodology, cost-effectiveness, and reporting (CHEERS checklist) was performed., Results: The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs; in 2021-adjusted US$) for germline testing versus the standard care option in hereditary breast or ovarian cancer (HBOC) across target settings were as follows: (1) population-wide testing: 344-2.5 million/QALY; (2) women with high-risk: dominant = 78,118/QALY, 8,337-59,708/LYG; (3) existing breast or ovarian cancer: 3,012-72,566/QALY, 39,835/LYG; and (4) metastatic breast cancer: 158,630/QALY. Likewise, ICERs of germline testing for colorectal cancer across settings were: (1) population-wide testing: 132,200/QALY, 1.1 million/LYG; (2) people with high-risk: 32,322-76,750/QALY, dominant = 353/LYG; and (3) patients with existing colorectal cancer: dominant = 54,122/QALY, 98,790-6.3 million/LYG. Key areas of underreporting were the inclusion of a health economic analysis plan (100% of HBOC and colorectal studies), engagement of patients and stakeholders (95.4% of HBOC, 100% of colorectal studies) and measurement of outcomes (18.2% HBOC, 38.9% of colorectal studies)., Conclusion: Germline testing for HBOC was likely to be cost-effective across most settings, except when used as a co-dependent technology with the PARP inhibitor, olaparib in metastatic breast cancer. In colorectal cancer studies, testing was cost-effective in those with high-risk, but inconclusive in other settings. Cost-effectiveness was sensitive to the prevalence of tested variants, cost of testing, uptake, and benefits of prophylactic measures. Policy advice on germline testing should emphasize the importance of these factors in their recommendations.

Background: Various methods exist for the induction of labor (IOL), and there is limited consensus as to optimal methods. Off-label misoprostol is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for IOL but preparing it into doses suitable for IOL lacks precision, with potential adverse outcomes if dosing is inaccurate. This study explores potential outcomes and costs associated with increased uptake of a low-dose (25 µg) oral misoprostol formulation (Angusta; Norgine BV, Amsterdam) approved for IOL, in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands., Methods: A literature review was undertaken to derive probabilities of delivery outcomes (vaginal, instrumental, and cesarean sections) for IOL methods, from published meta-analyses. Outcomes for oral misoprostol tablets (25 µg) were unavailable in the meta-analyses, so were estimated using data from two published retrospective cohort studies. A model was developed to predict the frequency of IOL outcomes and associated costs at the national level, across multiple scenarios. Scenarios were tested using a moderate, medium, and high increase in oral misoprostol tablet (25 µg) uptake. Market shares, costs, and induction rates were defined for each country using multiple data sources., Results: Increased uptake of oral misoprostol tablets (25 µg) was estimated to be associated with a slightly increased rate of routine vaginal deliveries, and concurrent decreases in instrumental vaginal deliveries and cesarean sections. Since routine vaginal deliveries are less costly than other delivery outcomes, increased uptake of oral misoprostol tablets (25 µg) within the IOL market has the potential to be cost-saving. These trends were predicted using 25 µg oral misoprostol tablet outcomes informed by both retrospective studies., Conclusion: Preliminary outcomes suggest that oral misoprostol tablets at 25 µg per dose may improve outcomes in IOL and be cost-saving. Further study is required to validate these findings and assess the comparative efficacy of IOL methods, including oral misoprostol tablets (25 µg).

Objectives: For hospitalized patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), albuterol and levalbuterol can both be used as relievers to alleviate bronchoconstriction. This study aimed to evaluate levalbuterol and albuterol's cost-utility and budget impact in hospitalized patients with COPD., Interventions: A cost-utility analysis was used to evaluate the impact on the costs of nebulized levalbuterol verse albuterol in hospitalized patients with COPD. The decision tree model was employed to estimate the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year in the admission setting. A budget impact model was used to examine the impact of budget on levalbuterol's entry into the Chinese market from the healthcare system's perspective. One-way sensitivity and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to test the uncertainty of the parameters., Results: The cost-utility results showed that levalbuterol saved ¥495.7 ($105.1) per hospitalization, while the budget impact analysis revealed a potential saving of ¥22.3 ($6.8) million in 3 years. The sensitivity analysis indicated that the results were robust to the changes in input parameter values., Conclusion: Levalbuterol is a cost-saving option for treating hospitalized patients with COPD in China.

Objectives: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to pool the incremental net benefit (INB) of each herpes zoster vaccine [i.e. Zoster Vaccine Live (ZVL) and Recombinant Zoster Vaccine (RZV)]., Methods: We initially identified individual studies by hand-searching reference lists of the relevant systematic review articles. An updated comprehensive search was performed in Medline, Scopus, and Embase until June 2020 for additional studies. Studies were eligible if they assessed the cost-effectiveness/utility of any pair among ZVL and RZV, and no vaccine and reported economic outcomes. Details of the study characteristics, economic model inputs, costs, and outcomes were extracted. INB was calculated with monetary units adjusting for purchasing power parity for 2019 US dollars and pooled by meta-analysis., Results: A total of 37 studies were pooled for meta-analysis stratified by perspectives [i.e. societal (SP) and third-party payer (TPP)] and vaccine types. In SP, ZVL was cost-effective compared to no vaccine when vaccinated at ages of 50-59 and 70-79 years with INBs (95% CI) of $0.61 (0.37, 0.85) and $9.67 (5.20, 14.14), respectively. RZV was cost-effective for those aged 60-69 and 70-79 years with INBs of $75.61 (17.98, 133.23) and $85.01 (30.02, 140.01), respectively. In TPP, ZVL was cost-effective compared to no vaccine when vaccinated at age 70-79 years with INB of $7.57 (0.27, 14.86) and RZV was cost-effective at 60-69 years with INB $220.87 (47.80, 393.93). The cost-effectiveness of RZV was robust across a series of sensitivity analyses, but ZVL differs on different vaccination ages., Conclusions: RZV may be cost-effective for vaccination in ages of 60-79 years for both SP and TPP perspectives, while ZVL might be cost-effective in some age groups, but results are not robust.

Aims: Accurately estimating mean survival after solid organ transplant (SOT) is crucial for efficient healthcare resource allocation decisions. However, registry-based post-transplant recipient survival estimates vary greatly and are incomplete. Often, the methods used in lifetime survival extrapolation may not fit complex transplant data and therefore alternative methods are required. We aimed to explore the flexible cubic spline methodology as a meaningful alternative for estimating lifetime survival following SOT., Methods: Survival analyses were conducted in kidney, liver, heart, and lung transplant recipients. Mean survival was estimated using flexible cubic splines on the hazard scale fitted with three knots, based on where hazards changed direction, clinical advice, and best-fit curve using Akaike and Bayesian information criterion. The tail was extrapolated when data were no longer available. Extrapolation tails were compared with general population mortality, using age-matched life table hazards, and the highest hazards were taken at all times., Results: We found that mean survival post-transplant was longest for kidney transplants (US: 22.79 years; UK: 26.58 years), followed by liver (US: 20.90 years; UK: 20.38 years), heart (US: 14.82 years; UK: 15.85 years), and lung (US: 9.28 years; UK: 9.21 years). A sensitivity analysis using two knots found differences in survival ranging from -1.30 to +4.83 years across SOTs examined., Limitations: This study does not represent individual patient survival, survival by age groups, multiple-organ transplants, or assess factors that may impact overall or organ survival., Conclusions: Our study estimates reflect real-world survival following SOTs and demonstrate the importance of including long-term hazards in survival estimations. These lifetime survival estimates can be used by decision-makers in situations where means are preferred over medians (e.g. population projections, budgetary estimates, and cost-effectiveness models) and can thus offer a meaningful alternative to the estimates used and accepted in current practice.

Aims: Therapeutic guidelines recommend prophylaxis against chemotherapy-induced (febrile) neutropenia (CIN/FN). Pegfilgrastim (Neulasta), biosimilar pegfilgrastim-jmdb (Fulphila), and pegfilgrastim with on-body injector (OBI; Neulasta Onpro) are options for CIN/FN prophylaxis. We aimed to simulate the cost-savings and budget-neutral expanded access to CIN/FN prophylaxis or anticancer treatment achieved through conversion from pegfilgrastim-OBI to pegfilgrastim-jmdb and to evaluate the economic impact of FN-related hospitalization costs due to pegfilgrastim-OBI failure., Methods: Cost-savings from conversion from pegfilgrastim-OBI to biosimilar pegfilgrastim-jmdb were simulated in a panel of 15,000 patients with cancer from the US payer perspective. The primary analyses included conversion rates of 10% to 100%. Adjusted analyses also considered OBI device failure rates of 1% to 7% and associated costs of FN-related hospitalization. Simulations of budget-neutral expanded access to prophylaxis with pegfilgrastim-jmdb or to rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) were also performed., Results: In a 15,000-patient panel, conversion from pegfilgrastim-OBI to pegfilgrastim-jmdb resulted in cost-savings ranging from $481,259 (10% conversion) to $4,812,585 (100% conversion) in a single cycle. Over 6 cycles at 100% conversion, savings were $28,857,510 and could provide 9,191 additional doses of pegfilgrastim-jmdb or 4,463 cycles of R-CHOP to patients with DLBCL. Adjusted for OBI failure, cost-savings over 6 cycles ranged from $2,935,565 (10% conversion; pegfilgrastim-OBI failure rate of 1%) to $32,236,499 (100% conversion; 7% failure). These cost-savings could provide 943 doses of pegfilgrastim-jmdb or 454 doses of R-CHOP (10% conversion; 1% pegfilgrastim-OBI failure) or provide 10,261 doses of pegfilgrastim-jmdb or 4,982 cycles of R-CHOP (100% conversion; 7% failure)., Conclusion: Conversion from pegfilgrastim to pegfilgrastim-jmdb is associated with significant cost-savings which increase markedly when also accounting for pegfilgrastim-OBI failure and associated FN-related hospitalizations. These general and failure-related cost-savings could be allocated on a budget-neutral basis to provide more patients with additional CIN/FN prophylaxis or antineoplastic treatment.

Aims: The study compared quality outcomes, resource utilization, and costs in Medicare beneficiaries with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) with and without a worsening heart failure event (WHFE)., Methods: This retrospective observational study evaluated claims data for two cohorts of Medicare beneficiaries with chronic HFrEF who were enrolled in Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) or Medicare advantage (MA) plans. The index date was the first claim of HFrEF between October 2015 and September 2017. Patients with WHFE were identified if they had IV diuretic use or hospitalization for HF during 12 months after index date; with remaining patients classified as non-WHFE. During follow-up, starting from the 13 th month after HFrEF index date to end of follow-up, generalized linear models were used to adjust for patient characteristics to compare mean per patient per year (PPPY) quality outcomes, resource utilization, and costs between HFrEF patients with and without WHFE., Results: Of the 1,182,509 FFS and 28,645 MA patients with HFrEF, 34.2% and 32.5% developed WHFE, respectively. Compared to patients without WHFE, patients with WHFE had higher rates of all-cause 30-day readmissions (FFS: 42% vs. 31%; MA: 41% vs. 31%), hospitalizations (FFS: 2.27 vs. 1.36; MA: 1.47 vs. 0.78 PPPY) and ED visits (FFS: 1.82 vs. 1.25; MA: 1.43 vs. 0.96 PPPY); all comparisons p  < .05. Mortality rates in FFS patients were higher among patients with WHFE (34.3%) compared to those without (23.4%). All-cause total PPPY costs were higher for patients with WHFE compared to those without by $20,825 in FFS and $15,974 in MA. Similar trends were observed for HF-related outcomes., Conclusion: Medicare patients with chronic HFrEF experiencing a WHFE had worse quality outcomes as well as higher resource utilization and costs compared to those without WHFE, thus, suggesting the need for better treatments and interventions to manage these patients.

Aims: To investigate the cost-efficiency and budget-neutral expanded access of biosimilar intravenous trastuzumab-dkst versus reference intravenous (trastuzumab-IV) and subcutaneous trastuzumab (trastuzumab-SC) (with/without pertuzumab) in metastatic breast cancer (MBC)., Methods: Economic simulation modeling in a panel of 1,000 MBC patients to estimate: 1) cost-savings by conversion from trastuzumab-IV or trastuzumab-SC to trastuzumab-dkst at 10-100% conversion rates in 3 weight groups: first quartile (Q 1 :62.2 kg), median (73.1 kg), third quartile (Q 3 :88.6 kg), and 2) budget-neutral expanded access to trastuzumab-dkst from cost-savings., Results: In monotherapy, conversion (%) from trastuzumab-IV generates one-year cost-savings from $2,272,189 (Q 1 ;10%) to $31,506,804 (Q 3 ;100%) and from trastuzumab-SC monotherapy savings range from $2,071,277 (Q 3 ;10%) to $35,775,475 (Q 1 ;100%). In combination with pertuzumab, trastuzumab-dkst is cost-efficient in all patient weights with one-year savings over trastuzumab-IV up to $32,662,714 (Q 3 ;100%) and over trastuzumab-SC up to $35,322,461 (Q 1 ;100%). Savings from conversion from trastuzumab-IV monotherapy could provide between 3,087 (Q 1 ;10%) and 30,911 (Q 3 ;100%) additional trastuzumab-dkst doses-enough to treat 58 to 583 patients for one year. Conversion from trastuzumab-SC monotherapy could provide between 1,559 (Q 3 ;10%) and 48,598 (Q 1 ;100%) additional trastuzumab-dkst doses or 38 to 918 additional one-year treatments with trastuzumab-dkst. In combination with pertuzumab, conversion from trastuzumab-IV could provide from 311 (Q 1 ;10%) to 3,939 (Q 3 ;100%) maintenance doses (pertuzumab + trastuzumab-dkst) or 17 to 210 additional one-year regimens (all agents). Savings from conversion from trastuzumab-SC could expand access to 226 (Q 3 ;10%) to 4,782 (Q 1 ;100%) additional maintenance doses or 12 to 254 one-year regimens., Conclusions: This first cost-efficiency and expanded access study of biosimilar therapeutic cancer agents shows that trastuzumab-dkst is cost-efficient over trastuzumab-IV and trastuzumab-SC across all patient weights in both monotherapy and combination with pertuzumab and paclitaxel. These cost savings could provide more patients with trastuzumab-dkst treatment on a budget-neutral basis.

Aim: To estimate the incremental phase-specific and lifetime economic burden among newly diagnosed cervical and endometrial cancer patients vs. non-cancer controls., Methods: Cervical and endometrial cancer patients newly diagnosed between January 2015 and June 2018 were identified in the Optum Clinformatics DataMart database. The index date was the date of the first diagnosis for cancer cases and the first claim date after 12 months of continuous enrollment for non-cancer controls. Patients were followed until death/loss of enrollment/end of data availability. Per patient per month (PPPM) costs attributable to cancer were calculated for four phases: pre-diagnosis (3 months before diagnosis), initial (6 months post-diagnosis), terminal (6 months pre-death), and continuation (remaining time between initial and terminal phases). Survival data were obtained to determine the monthly proportion of patients in each phase. Total survival adjusted monthly costs were obtained by multiplying the proportion of patients in each phase by the total cost incurred during that month. Phase-specific and lifetime incremental costs of cervical and endometrial cancer were obtained using generalized linear models., Results: The analytic cohort included 1,002 cervical cancer patients and 4,005 matched non-cancer controls and 5,003 endometrial cancer patients matched with 19,999 non-cancer controls. Mean adjusted incremental PPPM lifetime costs (95% CI) for cervical cancer and endometrial cancer cases were $5,910 ($5,373-$6,446) and $3,475 ($3,259-$3,691), respectively. Incremental total PPPM phase-specific costs attributable to cervical and endometrial cancer were pre-diagnosis (cervical: $1,057; endometrial: $3,315), initial ($12,084; $8,618), continuation ($2,732; $1,147), and terminal ($2,702; $5,442). Incremental costs were significantly higher for cancer patients vs. non-cancer controls across patient lifetime and all phases of care (except terminal phase costs for cervical cancer). Outpatient costs were the major driver of costs across all post-diagnosis phases., Conclusion: This study highlights the cost burden associated with cervical/endometrial cancer and cost variation by phases of care.

Background: Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is one of the leading causes of graft loss in kidney transplant recipients but little is known about the associated cost and healthcare burden of AMR., Methods: We developed an algorithm to detect AMR using the 2006-2011 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) using ICD-10 and billing codes as there is no specific ICD-10 or procedure code for AMR. We then compared healthcare utilization, cost, and risk of graft failure or death in AMR. patients versus matched controls., Results: The algorithm had a 39.4% true-positive rate (69/175) and a 4.1% false-positive rate (110/2,655). We identified 5,679/101,554 (5.6%) with AMR, who had a nearly 3-fold higher risk of graft failure (hazard ratio [HR], 2.75, 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.50 to 3.03; p  < .0001) and death (HR, 2.59; 95% CI, 2.35 to 2.86; p  < .0001) at 2 years, nearly 5 times the hospitalizations in the 60 d before AMR diagnosis, and increased nephrology and emergency department visits. Mean AMR attributable healthcare costs were 4 times higher than matched controls, at $13,066 more per patient in the 60 d before AMR diagnosis and $35,740 per patient per year higher in the 2 years after AMR diagnosis., Conclusions: US kidney transplant recipients with AMR have substantially greater healthcare utilization and higher costs and risk of graft loss and mortality.

Aims: Rivaroxaban reduces stroke compared with warfarin in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This study compared healthcare costs before and after stroke in NVAF patients treated with rivaroxaban or warfarin., Materials and Methods: Using de-identified IBM MarketScan Commercial and Medicare databases, this retrospective cohort study (from 2011 to 2019) included patients with NVAF who initiated rivaroxaban or warfarin within 30 days after initial NVAF diagnosis. Patients who developed stroke were identified, and stroke severity was determined by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, imputed by a random forest method. Total all-cause per-patient per-year (PPPY) costs of care were determined for patients: (1) who developed stroke during the pre- and post-stroke periods and (2) who remained stroke-free during the follow-up period. Treatment groups were balanced using inverse probability of treatment weighting., Results: A total of 13,599 patients initiated rivaroxaban and 39,861 initiated warfarin, of which 272 (2.0%) and 1,303 (3.3%), respectively, developed stroke during a mean follow-up of 28 months. Among patients who developed stroke, PPPY costs increased from the pre-stroke to post-stroke period, with greater increases in the warfarin cohort relative to the rivaroxaban cohort. Overall, the costs increased by 1.78-fold for rivaroxaban vs 3.07-fold for warfarin; for less severe strokes (NIHSS < 5), costs increased 0.88-fold and 1.05-fold, respectively. Cost increases for more severe strokes (NIHSS ≥ 5) among rivaroxaban patients were half those for warfarin patients (3.19-fold vs 6.37-fold, respectively). Among patients without stroke, costs were similar during the follow-up period between the two treatment groups., Conclusions: Total all-cause costs of care increased in the post-stroke period, and particularly in the patients treated with warfarin relative to those treated with rivaroxaban. The lower rate of stroke in the rivaroxaban cohort suggests that greater pre- to post-stroke cost increases result from more strokes occurring in the warfarin cohort.

Background: Although retinoblastoma (Rb) is considered to have a good prognosis, economical stress is still a huge problem for patients' families. Besides, doctors, the government, and social foundation staff do not precisely know how much is truly required for complete Rb therapy, especially the non-medical costs and indirect costs. This study was conducted to estimate the economic burden of Rb patients., Methods: This was a retrospective study. Fifty Rb patients were finally enrolled in the study. The questionnaire survey was conducted with surviving Rb patient' main family caregivers to collect the information on costs during illness through the phone. Costs included direct and indirect cost; direct costs included medical and non-medical costs. Medical costs include drug costs, surgery costs, treatment fees, lab tests, non-lab tests costs, and medical consumptive stuff costs (including hospital expenses and outpatient fees)., Results: The total direct cost was $27,814.62 ± 15,137.73, and the average medical cost was $15,034.48 ± 8,224.19 ($3,963.99-36,826.53). The total non-medical expenses averaged $12,252.93 ± 9,872.64 ($728.86-48,104.95). The average reduced working time was 11.50 ± 8.06 months, and the average lost income was $13,512.23 ± 11,545.83. Among the non-medical expenses, the average non-medical expenses for children in Beijing and surrounding areas was $6,557.68 ± 6,385.42, and the average non-medical expenses for children in other provinces and was $14,502.29 ± 10,484.86, t -test p -value = 0.011. The average transportation cost for children in Beijing and surrounding areas (Hebei, Tianjin) was $1,871.09 ± 1,428.91, other provinces was $4,909.62 ± 3,697.02. Of children in Beijing and surrounding areas the average accommodation fee was $2,788.42 ± 3,065.00, in other provinces it was $6,599.27 ± 3,065.00., Conclusion: Children with Rb have a heavy economic burden. Direct non-medical expenses are higher. Getting medical treatment nearby can help reduce the economic burden of the disease. Besides, work-related issues are also a major financial problem for families with Rb, and the government should properly provide economic subsidies. Simplifying the national health insurance process and purchasing commercial supplementary medical insurance will increase the family's ability to afford the cost of cancer treatment.

Objective: To compare the hospital length of stay (LOS) between rivaroxaban and warfarin in hospitalized acute stroke patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) in Japan., Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study using a Japanese hospital claims database. Data of NVAF patients who were started on oral anticoagulant (OAC) treatment during hospitalization were extracted and LOS-OAC (period from the initiation of index OAC therapy to the end of hospitalization or censoring date) and medical costs were compared between rivaroxaban and warfarin treatments. To compare LOS-OAC, a time-to-event analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. The analysis period was from April 2012 to December 2015., Results: This study included 773 rivaroxaban users and 1077 warfarin users. After the propensity score matching, 546 patients for each treatment constituted the matched cohorts. Although the rivaroxaban users had a similar LOS-OAC to warfarin users (median, 18 vs. 19 days, p  = .657) in the matched cohorts, 3 days shorter LOS-OAC was observed in the rivaroxaban users (median, 17 vs. 20 days, p  = .043) after IPTW adjustment. Subgroup analysis by the severity of stroke after IPTW adjustment demonstrated that rivaroxaban users had a shorter LOS-OAC than warfarin users among patients with mild (median, 10 vs. 14 days) and moderate stroke severity (22 vs. 27 days), but not among those with severe stroke severity (26 vs. 25 days)., Limitations: It is not possible to say that the only confounder was stroke severity and therefore other possible known and unknown confounders could not be ruled out., Conclusions: The rivaroxaban users had a 3-day shorter LOS-OAC after IPTW-adjustment. Using rivaroxaban was associated with 4-5 days shorter LOS-OAC than using warfarin in patients with mild or moderate stroke, though treatment selection did not have a large impact in patients with severe stroke.

Background: This study aimed to understand the clinical and economic burden associated with postsurgical complications in high-risk surgeries in Thailand., Methods: A cost and outcome study was conducted using a retrospective cohort database from four tertiary hospitals. All patients with high-risk surgeries visiting the hospitals from 2011 to 2017 were included. Outcomes included major postsurgical complications, length of stay (LOS), in-hospital death, and total healthcare costs. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors of postsurgical outcomes., Results: A total of 14,930 patients were identified with an average age of 57.7 ± 17.0 years and 34.9% being male. Gastrointestinal (GI) procedures were the most common high-risk procedures, accounting for 54.9% of the patients, followed by cardiovascular (CV) procedures (25.2%). Approximately 27.2% of the patients experienced major postsurgical complications. The top three complications were respiratory failure (14.0%), renal failure (3.5%), and myocardial infarction (3.4%). In-hospital death was 10.0%. The median LOS was 9 days. The median total costs of all included patients were 2,592 US$(IQR: 1,399-6,168 US$). The patients, who received high-risk GI surgeries and experienced major complications, had significantly increased risk of in-hospital death (OR: 4.53; 95%CI: 3.81-5.38), longer LOS (6.53 days; 95%CI: 2.60-10.46 days) and higher median total costs (2,465 US$; 95%CI: 1,945-2,984 US$), compared to those without major complications. Besides, the patients, who underwent high-risk CV surgeries and developed major complications, resulted in significantly elevated risk of in-hospital death (OR: 2.22; 95%CI: 1.74-2.84) and increased median total costs (2,719 US$; 95%CI: 2,129-3,310 US$), compared to those without major complications., Conclusions: Postsurgical complications are a serious problem in Thailand, as they are associated with worsening mortality risk, LOS, and healthcare costs. Clinicians should develop interventions to prevent or effectively treat postsurgical complications to mitigate such burdens.

Objective: To assess the cost-effectiveness of pembrolizumab monotherapy compared with standard chemotherapy for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in previously untreated adults who have a high programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) tumor proportion score of 50% or greater in Singapore. Materials and methods: A partitioned-survival analysis model was developed from a healthcare system's perspective that extrapolated clinical and economic outcomes of first-line pembrolizumab (maximum treatment duration of 2 years) versus platinum doublet chemotherapy over a 10-year time horizon for patients with advanced NSCLC. The model consisted of three health states: alive with no progression, alive with progression, and dead. Key clinical inputs were based on Kaplan-Meier survival curves from the interim (median follow-up = 11.2 months) and updated analysis (median follow-up = 25.2 months) of the KEYNOTE-024 randomized controlled trial. Local cost data were applied. Utilities were derived from published international estimates. Both one-way and multivariate probabilistic sensitivity analyses (PSA) were conducted to identify key drivers of the results. Results: Using the results from the updated analysis of KEYNOTE-024, patients treated with pembrolizumab experienced more quality adjusted life-years (QALYs), but incurred higher costs compared to chemotherapy over a 10-year time horizon (pembrolizumab: 1.9983 QALYs, SGD215,761; chemotherapy: 1.1317 QALYs, SGD70,444). The base-case incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was SGD167,692 per QALY gained. One-way sensitivity analysis showed the ICER was most sensitive to the cost of pembrolizumab, followed by the time horizon. Multivariate PSA indicated that pembrolizumab had 0% probability of being cost-effective at a hypothetical willingness-to-pay threshold of SGD100,000 per QALY gained. Conclusion: While pembrolizumab is superior to standard chemotherapy in improving overall survival and progression-free survival, results suggest that it is unlikely to be cost-effective at its current price in Singapore. Factors including clinical effectiveness, safety, and budget impact should also be considered when making national funding decisions.

Objective: To estimate the economic burden of needlestick injuries (NSIs) among healthcare workers (HCWs) in China. Design: A model was built to evaluate the economic burden of NSIs. Methods: The cost model was developed from a societal perspective, including both direct and indirect costs, with lifetime horizon. The direct costs were categorized into infection prevention and treatment of infections. The indirect cost included productivity loss of both HCWs and his/her family members due to the blood-borne infections. Sub-group analyses were conducted to estimate the cost per NSI when the source patient (SP) was confirmed with hepatitis B virus/hepatitis C virus/human immunodeficiency virus (HBV/HCV/HIV) infection. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted for all parameters to examine the robustness of the result. Results: The model projected a total cost of ¥699 for each NSI (direct and indirect cost were ¥553 and ¥146, respectively). The cost per NSI when the SP was confirmed with HBV/HCV/HIV was ¥4,238, ¥18,404, and ¥6,152, respectively. The total economic burden of NSIs among HCWs in China was estimated to be ¥5.8 billion, and about half of the cost was associated with NSIs in nurses, at ¥2.8 billion. Limitations: This study did not incorporate the costs of litigation/psychological, and the prevalence of the infections was based on the general population, so the actual costs per NSI may be underestimated. More real-world studies of treatment cost about HBV/HCV are needed to further supporting this study. Conclusions: The economic burden of NSIs among HCWs in China is substantial. Comprehensive NSI prevention programs, including implementation of safety needles and devices, have high potential for healthcare institutions to achieve downstream cost savings and cost offsets.

Background and aim: A non-inferiority cost analysis was performed to assess if the early capsule approach would incur higher costs than the standard of care approach in patients presenting with non-hematemesis gastrointestinal bleeding. Methods: A prospective non-inferiority cost analysis was performed on patients receiving either an early video capsule as the first diagnostic procedure or an endoscopic procedure as determined by gastroenterology staff that were not involved in the study. Primary outcome was total direct costs incurred in both groups. Results: Forty-five patients and 42 patients were enrolled into the early capsule and standard of care arms, respectively. There was no difference in total direct cost per inpatient case in both groups ($7,362 vs $7,148, p  = 0.77 [CI = -2,285-2,315, equivalent margin = -$3,100]). Localization of a bleeding source after the first diagnostic procedure was identified more frequently in the early capsule group (69.2% vs 27.9%, p  = 0.0003). If patients were discharged after their last non-diagnostic evaluation, then length of stay could be decreased by 50% in both groups (58.5 to 31.6 h, p  = 0.02 in the early capsule group and 69.4 to 39.2 h in the standard of care group p  = 0.001). Projections indicate the fastest a patient with non-diagnostic evaluations could be discharged is 0.88 days in the early capsule group vs 1.63 days in the standard of care group ( p  = 0.0005). Discussion: In patients with non-hematemesis bleeding, video capsule endoscopy may be a more efficient diagnostic approach than the standard of care approach, since it detects bleeding significantly more often without an increase in healthcare costs.

Aims: Medicare patients with metastatic or surgically unresectable urothelial carcinoma (mUC) often receive platinum-based chemotherapy as first line of therapy (LOT), but invariably progress, requiring additional LOTs and healthcare resource use (HCRU). To better understand the evolving mUC treatment landscape, the economic burden of chemotherapy-based mUC treatments among US Medicare patients was estimated. Methods: Newly diagnosed Medicare patients with mUC were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database. Patients were followed from diagnosis to death, disenrollment, or end of study to characterize LOTs (first [LOT1], second [LOT2], and third or greater [LOT3+]). Kaplan-Meier methods were used to estimate overall survival (OS) by LOT. HCRU and mean costs were reported over the follow-up period, LOT duration, and maximum LOT received. Results: Among 1,873 eligible patients with mUC (median age = 77 years; median follow-up = 7.5 months), 1,035 (55%) received no chemotherapy. Among chemotherapy-treated patients, 61% had LOT1 only, 25% had LOT1 and LOT2 only, and 14% had LOT3+. Median OS was 8.1 months, range was 4.3 (untreated) to 29.8 (LOT3+) months. HCRU frequency increased with additional LOTs. Mean cumulative per-patient cost was $82,912 for all patients, increasing with additional LOTs (untreated = $57,207; LOT1 = $99,213; LOT2 = $125,190; LOT3+ = $163,884). Mean per patient per month cost was $18,827 for all patients, decreasing with increasing number of LOTs received (untreated = $27,211; LOT1 = $9,601; LOT2 = $7,325; LOT3+ = $6,017). Limitations: Potential for treatment misclassification when using the algorithm defining LOTs and non-generalizability of results to younger patients. Conclusions: Over 50% of Medicare patients with mUC received no chemotherapy. Among chemotherapy-treated patients, most received only one LOT. Additional LOTs led to higher mean costs and HCRU, but as patients were followed longer, monthly costs decreased. As treatments evolve to include immuno-oncology agents, these findings provide a clinically relevant economic benchmark for mUC treatment across different traditional LOTs.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a common, serious disease in the US and Europe. Patients with HF often require treatment for fluid overload, resulting in costly inpatient visits; however, limited evidence exists on the costs of alternative treatments. This study performed a cost-analysis of ultrafiltration (UF) vs diuretic therapy (DIUR-T) for patients with HF from the hospital perspective. Methods: The model used clinical data from the literature and hospital data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project to follow a decision-analytic framework reflecting treatment decisions, probabilistic outcomes, and associated costs for treating patients with HF and hypervolemia with veno-venous UF or intravenous DIUR-T. A 90-day timeframe was considered to account for hospital readmissions beyond 30 days. Sensitivity and scenario analyses were performed to gauge the robustness of the results. Results: Although initial hospitalization costs were higher, fluid removal by UF reduced hospital readmission days, leading to cost savings of $3,975 (14.4%) at the 90-day follow-up (UF costs, $23,633; DIUR-T costs, $27,608). Conclusions: UF is a viable alternative to DIUR-T when treating fluid overload in HF patients because it reduces hospital readmission rates and durations, which substantially lowers costs over a 90-day period compared to DIUR-T.

Aim: Disease-related malnutrition (DRM) is a prevalent condition that significantly increases the risk of adverse outcomes in hospitalized patients, particularly those with critical illness. Limited data is available on the economic burden of DRM and the cost-benefit of nutrition therapy in high-risk populations in Latin America. The aims of the present study were to estimate the economic burden of DRM and evaluate the cost-benefit of supplemental parenteral nutrition (SPN) in critically ill patients who fail to receive adequate nutrient intake from enteral nutrition (EN) in Latin America., Methods: Country-specific cost and prevalence data from eight Latin American countries and clinical data from studies evaluating outcomes in patients with DRM were used to estimate the costs associated with DRM in public hospitals. A deterministic decision model based on clinical outcomes from a randomized controlled study and country-specific cost data were developed to examine the cost-benefit of administering SPN to critically ill adults who fail to reach ≥60% of the calculated energy target with EN., Results: The estimated annual economic burden of DRM in public hospitals in Latin America is $10.19 billion (range, $8.44 billion-$11.72 billion). Critically ill patients account for a disproportionate share of the costs, with a 6.5-fold higher average cost per patient compared with those in the ward ($5488.35 vs. $839.76). Model-derived estimates for clinical outcomes and resource utilization showed that administration of SPN to critically ill patients who fail to receive the targeted energy delivery with EN would result in an annual cost reduction of $10.2 million compared with continued administration of EN alone., Limitations: The cost calculation was limited to the average daily cost of stay and antibiotic use. The costs associated with other common complications of DRM, such as prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation or more frequent readmission, are unknown., Conclusions: DRM imposes a substantial economic burden on Latin American countries, with critically ill patients accounting for a disproportionate share of costs. Cost-benefit analysis suggests that both improved clinical outcomes and significant cost savings can be achieved through the adoption of SPN as a therapeutic strategy in critically ill patients who fail to receive adequate nutrient intake from EN.

Aims: To estimate incremental healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and costs associated with skeletal-related events (SREs) secondary to multiple myeloma (MM), and HRU and cost differences in patients with one vs multiple SREs., Methods: Adults with MM diagnosis between January 1, 2010-December 31, 2014, with benefits coverage ≥12 months pre- and ≥6 months post-diagnosis were followed to last coverage date or December 31, 2015, excluding patients with prior anti-myeloma treatment or cancers. SREs were identified by diagnosis or procedure codes (pathological fracture, spinal cord compression, radiation, or surgery to the bone). SRE patients (index = first post-diagnosis SRE) were propensity score matched 1:1 to patients without SRE (assigned pseudo-index) using baseline characteristics, and ≥1 month of continuous enrollment after index/pseudo-index date was required. Per-patient-per year (PPPY) HRU and costs (2016 US$) were determined for inpatient, outpatient, emergency department (ED), and outpatient pharmacy services during follow-up. Wilcoxon signed rank for means and McNemar's tests for proportions were used to assess differences. Negative binomial regression and generalized linear regression analyses estimated differences in HRU and costs, respectively, for the comparison of single vs multiple SREs., Results: Each cohort included 848 patients (mean age = 61 - 62 years, 57% male) with no significant differences in pre-index demographic or clinical characteristics between matched cohorts. Versus non-SRE patients, SRE patients had significantly higher PPPY use (p < .0001) of inpatient hospitalizations, ED visits, outpatient pharmacy, and higher direct medical costs ($188,723 vs $108,160, p < .0001). Adjusted PPPY total costs were $209,820 in patients with multiple SREs; $159,797 in patients with one SRE., Limitations: SRE misclassification and residual confounding are possible., Conclusions: Among patients with MM, average annual costs were substantially higher in patients with SRE compared with matched non-SRE patients. The economic burden of SRE increased further with multiple events.