Programs that can provide HCV patients with information and skills, and improve clinical outcomes, are crucial for optimizing the Rapamycin health
benefits of antiviral treatment (PLoS ONE 2014; 9(5): e97317). The HCV Self-Management Program is a 6-week program that has been shown to significantly increase HCV knowledge, self-efficacy, and quality of life measures in both short term and 1-year time points (J Viral Hepat 2011;18:358, Health Educ Behav 2013; 40:730). The objectives of this study were to examine the costs for an organization to deliver the intervention, and then analyze the incremental cost-effectiveness of the HCV Self-Management Program. Methods: Effectiveness data in terms of QALYs were derived from the previously published prospective, randomized, controlled trial (RCT; n = 134). Healthcare utilization was abstracted from medical records for the 12 months before and after
study http://www.selleckchem.com/products/yap-tead-inhibitor-1-peptide-17.html enrollment. Intervention costs were tracked from the healthcare organization perspective and combined with healthcare costs. The incremental benefit of HCV self-management was compared to receiving HCV information only. Sensitivity analyses were used to examine assumptions. Results: The estimated intervention cost including organizational overhead was $1,777 per 6-week workshop, or $232/person. Healthcare costs were $815 lower/person for self-management participants, resulting in a total cost savings of $583/person. Self-management participants had an average net gain of 0.037 QALYs after 1 year. When removing inpatient substance-use
treatment days (accounted for most of the savings) from analyses, healthcare costs were very similar, producing an incremental cost-effectiveness others ratio of $5,081/ QALY. Sensitivity analyses showed that the results and conclusions did not change much when assumptions were varied. Conclusions: When compared to information-only, the HCV Self-Management Program led to more QALYs and cost savings in the RCT. Independent of healthcare costs, the intervention is low-cost, improves quality of life, and educates HCV-infected individuals about antiviral treatment and avoiding viral transmission. Low-cost interventions that can enhance the outcomes derived from expensive antiviral treatments should be studied further. Disclosures: Erik J. Groessl – Stock Shareholder: Bristol Myers Squibb Samuel B. Ho – Consulting: Genentech; Grant/Research Support: Roche The following people have nothing to disclose: Marisa Sklar, Ted Ganiats Background All-oral treatments for hepatitis C virus (HCV) are effective at curing HCV infection, but are associated with high costs. No firm guidelines exist on when to initiate treatment. Previously, treatment guidelines recommended that a patient’s treatment urgency be determined by histologic evaluation of the patient’s liver for fibrosis levels, and interferon-based therapy was recommended for patients with moderate or worse fibrosis (Metavir stage F2 or higher).