Published: 03-02-2020

We update the heoro.com database every day with new studies relevant to health economics and outcomes research. In this blog we summarise some of the key studies added throughout February 2020.

Studies reporting utilities

• EQ-5D and Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised scores were significantly better in patients with G551D mutation who were taking ivacaftor than in those homozygous for F508del receiving usual care before lumacaftor/ivacaftor were available. Bell 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• SF-36 and McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) scores showed that patients in Brazil with fibromyalgia and chronic non-specific low back pain had higher pain scores than patients with knee osteoarthritis but similar quality of life. De Oliveira Paes Leme 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Health state utilities were derived for people with chronic hepatitis B in Vietnam, using 4 preference- and non-preference-based instruments including the EQ-5D. Tran 2019 Go to paper on PubMed

Studies validating a PRO instrument

•  The estimated minimally important difference in tools assessing anxiety in US patients with musculoskeletal disorders was 4 for the PROMIS scales; 3 for the GAD-7; 6 for the PCL; 9 for the SF-36 mental health subscale; 5 for the MCS score, and 0.3 for the SCL anxiety scale. Kroenke 2019 Go to paper on PubMed

Other PRO studies

• Patients in the Netherlands with bone metastases who responded to palliative radiotherapy had improvement in pain scores for 56.6% of their remaining lives on average; missing questionnaire responses mean this value could range from 36% to 62%. Spencer 2019 Go to paper on PubMed

Studies reporting costs and resource use

• Increased nurse productivity in preparing patients for discharge was significantly associated with a 0.48% lower risk of 30-day readmission and 0.29% reduction in ED visits in the USA. Yakusheva 2019 Go to paper on PubMed

Economic evaluations

• Molecular testing as an adjunct to blood cultures is cost-saving in severe sepsis or septic shock in the USA where the increased length of stay due to inappropriate antibiotic prescribing is 4 days, and is cost-effective at lower LOS differences, with an ICER of <$20,000/death averted. Zacharioudakis 2019 Go to paper on PubMed
• Peripheral trigger site deactivation surgery has lower costs over 6.75 years and greater effectiveness at preventing refractory migraine than onabotulinumtoxin A injections in the USA. Schoenbrunner 2020 Go to paper on PubMed

Studies reporting mortality rates and trends

• Conducting radical cystectomy for bladder cancer at a low-volume hospital was associated with a 66% higher relative increase in hazard of death at 30 days and 33% higher hazard at 90 days compared with high volume centres in the USA in 2004 to 2013. Waingankar 2019 Go to paper on PubMed