Publications by authors named "D M Veenstra"
Background: The introduction of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 inhibitors (CDK4/6is) has transformed the treatment landscape for patients with hormone receptor positive (HR+) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (MBC). To our knowledge, no studies have quantified health care resource utilization (HRU) or economic burden following CDK4/6i initiation in the Medicare population.
Objective: To describe HRU and quantify health care costs among Medicare-enrolled patients with HR+ HER2- MBC treated with CDK4/6is in the first-line setting.
Article Synopsis
- Genomic screening for Lynch Syndrome (LS) and high polygenic risk scores (PRS) could improve colorectal cancer (CRC) screening by personalizing approaches for individuals based on their risk.
- A Markov model analysis showed that screening 1,000 people with LS+PRS could prevent 1.36 CRC cases and 0.65 deaths when compared to standard screening methods.
- The cost-effectiveness of this screening strategy was indicated by an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $124,415 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY), with a 69% chance of being cost-effective, especially when using a 90th percentile risk threshold.
Article Synopsis
- Family spillover effects, which impact family members and caregivers of patients, are often overlooked in health technology assessments (HTAs) and cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs), despite formal value frameworks suggesting their importance.
- The study aimed to create stakeholder-driven recommendations for effectively measuring and incorporating family spillover effects in the US healthcare evaluation processes while identifying potential research opportunities.
- Through literature reviews and qualitative interviews with various healthcare stakeholders, several key themes emerged that emphasized the limitations of current practices and led to the formulation of 15 consensus-based recommendations for better integrating these effects into CEAs and HTAs.
Article Synopsis
- The study aims to understand how potential future cancer treatment innovations influence oncologists' current treatment decisions and discussions with patients.* -
- An online survey with 201 oncologists revealed that a significant majority would discuss future treatments if they promised improved survival chances, especially if available soon.* -
- The results suggest that acknowledging the potential benefits of future innovations could enhance treatment decision-making; thus, guidelines should incorporate this aspect for better patient care.*
Article Synopsis
- New cancer diagnoses, especially hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), lead to significant drops in workplace productivity, increased absenteeism, and added costs for employers.
- The study analyzed data from 2010 to 2020 to measure the mean workdays lost and the financial impact on commercially insured US adults diagnosed with early-, intermediate-, and advanced-stage HCC.
- Results showed that early-stage patients experienced the highest productivity loss, particularly those receiving intensive treatments, with an average of 22.6 workdays lost, resulting in substantial indirect costs.