2020- Reprints: Technology and Information Systems

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Cost effectiveness of routine duodenal biopsies in iron deficiency anemia, World Journal of Gastroenterology, 22(34), 7813-7823, 2016
E. Broide, S. Matalon, O. Kriger-Sharabi, V. Richter, H. Shirin and M. Leshno
(Reprint no. 371)
Research no. :  05170100

 

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AIM
To investigate the cost effectiveness of routine small bowel biopsies (SBBs) in patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) independent of their celiac disease (CD) serology test results.

METHODS
We used a state transition Markov model. Two strategies were compared: routine SBBs during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) in all patients with IDA regardless their celiac serology status (strategy A) vs SBBs only in IDA patients with positive serology (strategy B). The main outcomes were quality adjusted life years (QALY), average cost and the incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER). One way sensitivity analysis was performed on all variables and two way sensitivity analysis on selected variables were done. In order to validate the results, a Monte Carlo simulation of 100 sample trials with 10, and an acceptability curve were performed.

RESULTS

Strategy A of routine SBBs yielded 19.888 QALYs with a cost of $218.10 compared to 19.887 QALYs and $234.17 in strategy B. In terms of cost-effectiveness, strategy A was the dominant strategy, as long as the cost of SBBs stayed less than $67. In addition, the ICER of strategy A was preferable, providing the cost of biopsy stays under $77. Monte Carlo simulation demonstrated that strategy A yielded the same QALY but with lower costs than strategy B.

CONCLUSION

Our model suggests that EGD with routine SBBs is a cost-effective approach with improved QALYs in patients with IDA when the prevalence of CD is 5% or greater. SBBs should be a routine screening tool for CD among patients with IDA, regardless of their celiac antibody status.

Is administration of proton pump inhibitors in functional dyspepsia worth the risk of developing gastric cancer: A Markov model to bridge the gap between scientific evidence and clinical practice, British Medical Journal Open 2020;10:e031091. doi:10.1136/ bmjopen-2019-031091
E. Broide, A. Eindor-Abarbanel, H. Shirin, V. Richter, S. Matalon and M. Leshno
(Reprint no. 373)
Research no. :  05120100

 

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Objective To formulate a decision analysis model based on recently published data that addresses the dilemma, whether improvement in quality of life rationalises continued proton pump inhibitors (PPI) use despite the risk of gastric cancer (GC) in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD).

Design A Markov model consisting of an initial decision regarding treatment with PPI (denoting it by PPI strategy) or any other treatment without PPI (denoting it by placebo strategy) was designed.

Data sources Data from prospective cross-sectional studies indicating risk stratification for GC after the use of PPI, combined with a Markov model that comprised the following states: Live, GC stages 1–4, Death.

Outcome measures The primary outputs included quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and life expectancy (LE). The improvement in utility in FD without PPI as compared with PPI use was tested (PPI vs placebo strategies). Sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the robustness of the model and address uncertainty in the estimation of model parameters.

Setting We considered only patients whose symptoms were relieved with PPIs and thus, had a better quality of life compared with patients who did not receive PPIs. Results The base case model showed that PPIs compared with placebo decreased LE by 58.4 days with a gain of 2.1 QALY. If utility (quality of life of patients with FD using PPI compared with patients with FD without PPI) improved by more than 0.8%, PPI use is considered better than placebo. Older patients benefited less from PPI treatment than did younger patients.

Conclusion To bridge the gap between evidence and decision making, we found that even a small improvement  in the QALY justified continuing PPI treatment.

The cardiovascular benefits of indiscriminate supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids; meta-analysis and decision-making approach, International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 69(5), 549-556, 2018
M. Leshno, U. Goldbourt, I. Pinchuk and D. Lichtenberg
(Reprint no. 374)
Research no. :  05180100

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Aim: The meta-analysis was conducted to estimate of the cardiovascular benefits of indiscriminate supplementation of omega-3 capsules. The results, expressed in terms of quality adjusted life years (QALY) intuitively understood by the general public, can be the basis for the (personal) decision on whether to take omega-3 supplements.
Methods: The results of meta-analysis of eight double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials are expressed in terms of QALY, using the Markov model and Monte Carlo simulations.
Results: Omega-3 supplementation results in a 8% decrease of the risk of cardiac death, unless the patients are treated by statins. Results indicate that omega-3 supplementation may prolong QALY by about a month. Old people gain less, whereas DM-2 patients and people with history of CV events gain more. 
Discussion: Our analysis yielded an algorithm for estimating benefit from omega-3 supplementation, based on the age and the individual risk of CV events of the patient.

Regorafenib treatment for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who progressed on sorafenib: A cost-effectiveness analysis, PLoS ONE 13(11): e0207132. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0207132
A. Shlomai, M. Leshno and D. A. Goldstein
(Reprint no. 375)
Research no. :  05190100

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Background and aims Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer related deaths. Patients with advanced HCC are treated with sorafenib. A recent randomized controlled trial demonstrated a survival benefit for regorafenib treatment in patients with advanced HCC who had progressed on sorafenib. We aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of this approach.

Methods To evaluate the cost effectiveness of regorafenib, we used a Markov model that incorporates health outcomes, measured by life-years and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Drug costs were based on 2017 discounted prices. Model robustness was validated by probabilistic sensitivity analyses using Monte Carlo simulations. 

Results The use of regorafenib results in a gain of 19.76 weeks of life (0.38 Life Years) as compared to placebo. When adjusted for quality of life, using regorafenib produced a gain of 0.25 quality adjusted life years (QALYs). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for regorafenib compared with best supportive care was between $201,797 and $268,506 per QALY.

Conclusion The modest incremental benefit at a relatively high incremental cost of regorafenib treatment suggests that it is not cost-effective at commonly accepted willingness to pay thresholds

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