Abstract / Description of output
Objectives
To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of an extended-role general practitioner (GP) symptoms clinic (SC), added to usual care (UC) for patients with multiple persistent physical symptoms (sometimes known as "medically unexplained symptoms").
Methods
A 52-week within-trial cost-utility analysis of a pragmatic multicentre randomised controlled trial comparing SC+UC (n=178) against UC alone (n=176), conducted from the primary perspective of the UK National Health Service (NHS) and personal and social services (PSS). Base-case quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were measured using EQ-5D-5L. Missing data were imputed using multiple imputation (MI). Cost-effectiveness results were presented as incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) and incremental net monetary benefits (INMBs). Uncertainty was explored using cost-effectiveness acceptability curves (using 1000 non-parametric bootstrapped samples) and sensitivity analysis (including societal costs, using SF-6D and capability ICECAP-A outcomes to estimate QALYs and years of full capability (YFC) respectively, varying intervention costs, missing data mechanism assumptions).
Results
Multiple imputation analysis showed that, compared to UC alone, SC+UC was more expensive [(adjusted mean cost difference: 704; 95% CI:£605, £807)] and more effective [(adjusted mean QALY difference: 0.0447 (95% CI:0.0067, 0.0826)] yielding an ICER of £15,765/QALY, INMB of £189.22 (95% CI:−£573.62, £948.28) and a 69% probability of the SC+UC intervention arm being cost-effective at a threshold of £20000 per QALY. Results were robust to most sensitivity analyses, but sensitive to missing data assumptions (2 of the 8 scenarios investigated), SF-6D and ICECAP-A quality of life outcomes.
Conclusions
A Symptoms Clinic is likely to be a potentially cost-effective treatment for patients with persistent physical symptoms.
To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of an extended-role general practitioner (GP) symptoms clinic (SC), added to usual care (UC) for patients with multiple persistent physical symptoms (sometimes known as "medically unexplained symptoms").
Methods
A 52-week within-trial cost-utility analysis of a pragmatic multicentre randomised controlled trial comparing SC+UC (n=178) against UC alone (n=176), conducted from the primary perspective of the UK National Health Service (NHS) and personal and social services (PSS). Base-case quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were measured using EQ-5D-5L. Missing data were imputed using multiple imputation (MI). Cost-effectiveness results were presented as incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) and incremental net monetary benefits (INMBs). Uncertainty was explored using cost-effectiveness acceptability curves (using 1000 non-parametric bootstrapped samples) and sensitivity analysis (including societal costs, using SF-6D and capability ICECAP-A outcomes to estimate QALYs and years of full capability (YFC) respectively, varying intervention costs, missing data mechanism assumptions).
Results
Multiple imputation analysis showed that, compared to UC alone, SC+UC was more expensive [(adjusted mean cost difference: 704; 95% CI:£605, £807)] and more effective [(adjusted mean QALY difference: 0.0447 (95% CI:0.0067, 0.0826)] yielding an ICER of £15,765/QALY, INMB of £189.22 (95% CI:−£573.62, £948.28) and a 69% probability of the SC+UC intervention arm being cost-effective at a threshold of £20000 per QALY. Results were robust to most sensitivity analyses, but sensitive to missing data assumptions (2 of the 8 scenarios investigated), SF-6D and ICECAP-A quality of life outcomes.
Conclusions
A Symptoms Clinic is likely to be a potentially cost-effective treatment for patients with persistent physical symptoms.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Value in Health |
| Early online date | 16 Oct 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 16 Oct 2024 |
Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)
- cost-effectiveness analysis
- cost-utility analysis
- persistent physical symptoms
- symptom-clinic
- extended-role GP