Quality of Life of Hematological Neoplasm Survivors After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess changes in the quality of life (QoL) of patients with hematological neoplasms who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), identify factors influencing these changes, and quantify the associated monetary value.

Methods: A total of 122 hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients participated in the study completing a recall survey with questions about 3 different stages: (1) pre-HSCT (baseline), (2) 6 months post-transplantation, and (3) between the first and fifth post-transplantation years. The study first estimated the incremental variation in QoL between phases and conducted regression analyses to identify factors linked to QoL changes.

Catastrophic out-of-pocket payments for dental treatment: regional evidence from Spain.

Background: To estimate the incidence and concentration of catastrophic out-of-pocket payments for healthcare and dental treatment, by region in Spain (calculated as the proportion of households needing to exceed a given threshold of their income to make these payments) in 2008, 2011 and 2015.

Methods: The data analysed were obtained from the Spanish Family Budget Survey reports for the years in question. The study method was that proposed by Wagstaff and van Doorslaer (2003), contrasting payments for dental treatment versus household income and considering thresholds of 10%, 20%, 30% and 40%, thus obtaining incidence rates.

The cost of premature death from cancer attributable to alcohol: Productivity losses in Europe in 2018.

Background: More than 1.9 million people die from cancer each year in Europe. Alcohol use is a major modifiable risk factor for cancer and poses an economic burden on society.

Estimating Global Friction Periods for Economic Evaluation: A Case Study of Selected OECD Member Countries.

Background: The friction cost approach (FCA) offers an alternative to the dominant human capital approach to value productivity losses. Application of the FCA in practice is limited largely due to data availability. Recent attempts have tried to standardise the estimation of friction periods across Europe, but to date, this has not been attempted elsewhere.

Challenges for Economic Evaluations of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products: A Systematic Review.

Objectives: Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) are drugs for human use for the treatment of chronic, degenerative, or life-threatening diseases that are based on genes, tissues, or cells. This article aimed to identify and critically review published economic analyses of ATMPs.

Methods: A systematic review of economic analyses of ATMPs was undertaken.

Cancer Premature Mortality Costs in Europe in 2020: A Comparison of the Human Capital Approach and the Friction Cost Approach.

The inclusion of productivity costs can affect the outcome of cost-effectiveness analyses. We estimated the value of cancer premature mortality productivity costs for Europe in 2020 using the Human Capital Approach (HCA) and compared these to the Friction Cost Approach (FCA). Cancer mortality data were obtained from GLOBOCAN 2020 by sex and five-year age groups.

Sociodemographic and health factors associated with the risk of financial catastrophe when informal care for patients with haematological neoplasms is replaced by formal care.

Background: Cancer is one of the diseases with the highest incidence and mortality in the world, and one that requires greater care (formal and informal). At present, the traditional informal caregiver is disappearing. The objective is to analyse the sociodemographic and health factors associated with the possible catastrophic financial effect on households of replacing informal care by formal care for patients with blood cancer, during the different stages of treatment in Spain.

Catastrophic household expenditure associated with out-of-pocket payments for dental healthcare in Spain.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of catastrophic health expenditure due to dental healthcare (CHED) in Spain, quantify its intensity and examine the related sociodemographic household characteristics.

Methods: Data from the Spanish Household Budget Survey, which addresses more than 20,000 households each year for the period 2008-2015 were included, and the methodology proposed by Wagstaff and van Doorslaer was followed. The prevalence (number of households that devote more than a certain threshold of their income to such payments) and intensity (amount that exceeds a certain percentage of income) were estimated.

Paid and unpaid productivity losses due to premature mortality from cancer in Europe in 2018.

When someone dies prematurely from cancer this represents a loss of productivity for society. This loss can be valued and provides a measure of the cancer burden. We estimated paid and unpaid productivity lost due to cancer-related premature mortality in 31 European countries in 2018.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of current varicose veins treatments.

Objective: To analyze the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of technologies for treatment of varicose veins over 5 years-conservative care, surgery (high ligation and stripping), ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS), endovenous laser ablation (EVLA), and radiofrequency ablation (RFA), mechanochemical ablation (MOCA), and cyanoacrylate glue occlusion (CAE).

Methods: A systematic review was updated and used to construct a Markov decision model. Outcomes were reintervention on the truncal vein, retreatment of residual varicosities and quality-adjusted life years (QALY) and costs over 5 years.

Friction Costs and the Chain of Vacancies Problem: A Novel Vacancy Multiplier Solution.

Objectives: A key criticism of applying the friction cost approach (FCA) to productivity cost estimation is its focus on a single friction period. A more accurate estimate of the friction cost of worker absence requires consideration of the chain of secondary vacancies arising from the opening of a new primary vacancy. Currently, empirical evidence on this is almost absent.

Catastrophic Household Expenditure Associated with Out-of-Pocket Healthcare Payments in Spain.

Background: The financial effect of households' out-of-pocket payments (OOP) on access and use of health systems has been extensively studied in the literature, especially in emerging or developing countries. However, it has been the subject of little research in European countries, and is almost nonexistent after the financial crisis of 2008. The aim of the work is to analyze the incidence and intensity of financial catastrophism derived from Spanish households' out-of-pocket payments associated with health care during the period 2008-2015.

Advances in the methodological approach to friction period estimation: A European perspective.

The friction cost approach (FCA) estimates the productivity costs of disease from an employer's perspective but the lack of estimates of friction periods in different countries limits its use. Our aim was to use labour market aggregates to generate two alternative estimates of the friction period for European countries and to apply the FCA to illustrate the impact on cancer-related lost productivity costs. We included thirty countries (EU 27 + the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Norway).

Economic Analysis of Brief Motivational Intervention Following Trauma Related to Drugs and Alcohol.

Background: Very few studies have conducted an economic assessment of brief motivational intervention (BMI) in patients experiencing traumatic injuries related to alcohol and/or substance use. Furthermore, findings concerning the potential long-term economic benefits of BMI applied in nursing are promising but very scarce.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the costs and benefits associated with the application of a BMI program by nursing staff to patients hospitalized for trauma related to substance use.

Shadow and extended shadow cost sharing associated to informal long-term care: the case of Spain.

Background: A large part of the long-term care is provided by non-professional caregivers, generally without any monetary payment but a value economic of time invested. The economic relevance of informal caregivers has been recognized in Spain; however, public provision may still be scarce. The objective of this paper is to estimate the economic burden associated with informal long-term care that should assume the families through a new concept of cost sharing that consider opportunity costs of time provided by informal caregivers.

Catastrophic financial effect of replacing informal care with formal care: a study based on haematological neoplasms.

Informal care is a substantial source of support for people with cancer. However, various studies have predicted its disappearance in the near future. The aim of this study is to analyse the catastrophic effect resulting from the substitution of informal care with formal care in patients with blood cancer throughout the different stages of treatment.

Cost-Effectiveness of Current and Emerging Treatments of Varicose Veins.

Objectives: To analyze the cost-effectiveness of current technologies (conservative care [CONS], high-ligation surgery [HL/S], ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy [UGFS], endovenous laser ablation [EVLA], and radiofrequency ablation [RFA]) and emerging technologies (mechanochemical ablation [MOCA] and cyanoacrylate glue occlusion [CAE]) for treatment of varicose veins over 5 years.

Methods: A Markov decision model was constructed. Effectiveness was measured by re-intervention on the truncal vein, re-treatment of residual varicosities, and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) over 5 years.

Differences in the economic valuation and determining factors of informal care over time: the case of blood cancer.

Objective: To estimate differences in the economic valuation and sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with informal care between phases of the treatment in the case of blood cancer patients.

Methods: 139 haematological cancer patients who underwent a stem cell transplantation completed a longitudinal questionnaire according to 3 phases of the treatment: short-term (pre-transplant), medium-term (1st year post-transplant) and long-term (2nd-6th year post-transplant). Economic value of informal care was estimated using proxy good and opportunity cost methods.

COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION VERSUS LASER FOR VARICOSE VEINS.

Objectives: Although the clinical benefits of endovenous thermal ablation are widely recognized, few studies have evaluated the health economic implications of different treatments. This study compares 6-month clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) compared with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in the setting of a randomized clinical trial.

Methods: Patients with symptomatic primary varicose veins were randomized to EVLA or RFA and followed up for 6 months to evaluate clinical improvements, health related quality of life (HRQOL) and cost-effectiveness.

[Sociodemographic and Clinical Factors Associated with Informal Care in Hematologic Malignancy Patients: a Study Based on Different Phases of the Treatment, Spain].

Background: There is little information on factors related to use of to informal care in cancer patients. Our objective is to study sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with use of informal care in patients with hematologic malignancy and analyze how these changes throughout different phases of the treatment.

Methods: 139 patients diagnosed with hematologic malignancy who received an haematopoietic stem cell transplantation between 2006-2011 in two Spanish hospitals completed the developed postal questionnaire.

Productivity loss due to premature mortality caused by blood cancer: a study based on patients undergoing stem cell transplantation.

Introduction: Stem cell transplantation has been used for many years to treat haematological malignancies that could not be cured by other treatments. Despite this medical breakthrough, mortality rates remain high. Our purpose was to evaluate labour productivity losses associated with premature mortality due to blood cancer in recipients of stem cell transplantations.