BACKGROUND New anticoagulants may improve health outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation, but it is unclear whether their use is cost-effective. METHODS AND RESULTS A Markov state transition was created to compare 4 therapies: dabigatran 150 mg BID, apixaban 5 mg BID, rivaroxaban 20 mg QD, and warfarin therapy. The population included those with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation who w...

This study compared the deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap and the free transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap in postmastectomy reconstruction using a cost-effectiveness analysis. A decision analytic model was used. Medical costs associated with the two techniques were estimated from the Ontario Ministry of Health Schedule of Benefits for 2002. Hospital costs were ob...

BACKGROUND Treatment options for end-stage heart failure include inotrope-dependent medical therapy, orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT), left ventricular assist device (LVAD) as destination therapy or bridge to transplant. METHODS AND RESULTS We developed a state-transition model to simulate 4 treatment options and associated morbidity and mortality. Transition probabilities, costs, and u...

background: life expectancy at birth as an alternative summary measure of mortality represents number of years which a newborn will be alive based on the current age specific death rates. as it summarizes death rates across all age range in a given population is the most common summary measure of mortality. the aim of this study was to correct death rates for underreport and estimate life expec...

CONTEXT Homosexual and bisexual men infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are at increased risk for human papillomavirus-related anal neoplasia and anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). OBJECTIVE To estimate the clinical benefits and cost-effectiveness of screening HIV-positive homosexual and bisexual men foranal squamous intraepithelial lesions (ASIL) and anal SCC. DESIGN Cost-eff...

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to investigate the costs and health status outcomes of intensive care unit (ICU) admission in patients who present after sudden cardiac arrest with in-hospital or out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation. METHODS Five-year survival, health-related quality of life (Medical Outcome Survey Short Form-36 questionnaire, SF-36), ICU costs, hospital co...

BACKGROUND Patients diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome may have coeliac disease. AIM To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of coeliac disease testing in suspected irritable bowel syndrome. METHODS We used decision analysis to estimate the number of coeliac disease cases detected, quality-adjusted life-years gained, and costs resulting from testing suspected irritable bowel syndrome patien...

At present time, there is uncertainty regarding whether influenza-like illness in healthy adults is best managed by preventive efforts that use the trivalent influenza vaccine, administration of neuraminidase inhibitors at the onset of illness, or recommendation of supportive care alone at the onset of illness. We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis that examined these 3 strategies for mana...

PURPOSE Proton beam therapy is a commonly accepted treatment for intraocular melanomas, but the literature is lacking in descriptions of patient preferences of clinical outcomes and economic impact. In addition, no economic evaluations have been published regarding the incremental cost-effectiveness of proton beam therapy compared with enucleation or plaque brachytherapy, typical alternative tr...