BACKGROUND AND AIM The clinical features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the medical environment are diverse in different geographic areas. The aim of this study is to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the surveillance of HCC in different medical circumstances. METHODS The Markov model focused on variables that differ from country to country and may change in the future, especially in ...

PURPOSE To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of screening strategies in which MR imaging and screen-film mammography were used, alone and in combination, in women with BRCA1 mutations. MATERIALS AND METHODS Because this study did not involve primary data collection from individual patients, institutional review board approval was not needed. By using a simulation mode...

BACKGROUND Studies on the immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease (AD) have increasingly gained attention since 1990s. However, there are pros (preventing of AD) and cons (incurred cost and side effects) regarding the administration of immunotherapy. Up to date, there has been lacking of economic evaluation for immunotherapy of AD. We aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness analysis of the vaccina...

Aims The aim of the Scaphoid Waist Internal Fixation for Fractures Trial (SWIFFT) was to determine optimal treatment adults with a bicortical undisplaced or minimally displaced fracture waist scaphoid, comparing early surgical fixation initial cast immobilization, immediate being offered patients nonunion. Methods A cost-effectiveness analysis conducted assess relative merits these forms treatm...

OBJECTIVE While metformin is generally accepted as the first-line agent in treatment of type 2 diabetes, there are insufficient evidence and extensive debate about the best second-line agent. We aimed to assess the benefits and harms of four commonly used antihyperglycemia treatment regimens considering clinical effectiveness, quality of life, and cost. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We develope...

OBJECTIVE Off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery has become a widely accepted alternative to standard coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass; however, the influence of intraoperative conversion from OPCAB to standard CABG on costs and quality of life is unclear. The objective of this study was to determine whether intraoperative conversion affects cost...

Formulating a rational health policy necessitates the ability to compare between different healthcare interventions and disease scenarios. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy with a conservative lifestyle strategy in sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (SAHS) was evaluated using health utility and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) as outcome measures. A total 71 SAHS (apnoea/hypopn...

Objective To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of personalised treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using clinical response and serum adalimumab levels. Methods A personalised treatment algorithm defined, based on clinical response and drug levels at 6 months, whether adalimumab treatment should be continued, discontinued or whether dosing should be altered or a specific next biological treatm...

We used data from a 4-year prospective study of 2,558 primary care patients age 65 and older in a large staff model health maintenance organization to examine the association of clinically significant depressive symptoms and eight other chronic medical conditions with quality adjusted life years (QALYs). We developed linear regression models to examine the association of clinically significant ...