Patient and Care Partner Burden in CKD Patients With and Without Anemia: A US-Based Survey.

Rationale & Objective: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has a far-reaching impact on both patients and care partners, which can be further compounded by frequent complications such as anemia. This study assessed the burden experienced by patients with CKD and the care partners of patients with CKD, with and without anemia.

Study Design: Online survey.

Cost impact of hydroxocobalamin in the treatment of patients with known or suspected cyanide poisoning due to smoke inhalation from closed-space fires.

Background & Objectives: Cyanide poisoning can occur due to exposure to smoke in closed-space fires. With no point of care cyanide test at the scene of a fire, first responders and clinicians base decisions to treat with cyanide antidote on patient history, clinical signs, and other indirect data points that have not been proven to correspond with actual systemic levels of cyanide. The aim of this exploratory study was to determine the economic implications of treating patients with known or suspected cyanide poisoning due to smoke inhalation with hydroxocobalamin.

Costs associated with the administration of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents for the treatment of anemia in patients with non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease: a US societal perspective.

Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are commonly used to treat anemia due to chronic kidney disease (CKD). In addition to drug acquisition costs, the administration of ESAs can include direct and indirect costs due to the needle-based route of administration (eg, time spent by health care staff administering therapy, and patients' and caregivers' time spent receiving or assisting with therapy). However, a comprehensive assessment of the costs associated with the administration of ESAs is lacking.

Cost-Utility of Elbasvir/Grazoprevir in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Genotype 1 Infection.

Objective: To evaluate the cost-utility of treatment with elbasvir/grazoprevir (EBR/GZR) regimens compared with ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF), ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir + dasabuvir ± ribavirin (3D ± RBV), and sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype (GT) 1 infection.

Methods: A Markov cohort state-transition model was constructed to evaluate the cost-utility of EBR/GZR ± RBV over a lifetime time horizon from the payer perspective. The target population was patients infected with chronic hepatitis C GT1 subtypes a or b (GT1a or GT1b), stratified by treatment history (treatment-naive [TN] or treatment-experienced), presence of cirrhosis, baseline hepatitis C virus RNA (< or ≥6 million IU/mL), and presence of NS5A resistance-associated variants.

An Economic Analysis of Cell-Free DNA Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing in the US General Pregnancy Population.

Objective: Analyze the economic value of replacing conventional fetal aneuploidy screening approaches with non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in the general pregnancy population.

Methods: Using decision-analysis modeling, we compared conventional screening to NIPT with cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis in the annual US pregnancy population. Sensitivity and specificity for fetal aneuploidies, trisomy 21, trisomy 18, trisomy 13, and monosomy X, were estimated using published data and modeling of both first- and second trimester screening.

Outcomes and costs of incorporating a multibiomarker disease activity test in the management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: The multibiomarker disease activity (MBDA) blood test has been clinically validated as a measure of disease activity in patients with RA. We aimed to estimate the effect of the MBDA test on physical function for patients with RA (based on HAQ), quality-adjusted life years and costs over 10 years.

Methods: A decision analysis was conducted to quantify the effect of using the MBDA test on RA-related outcomes and costs to private payers and employers.

Influence of a genomic classifier on post-operative treatment decisions in high-risk prostate cancer patients: results from the PRO-ACT study.

Objective: To assess the effect of an individualized genomic classifier (GC) test, for predicting metastasis following radical prostatectomy (RP), on urologists' adjuvant treatment decisions when caring for high-risk patients.

Patients And Methods: Data were submitted by US board-certified urologists in community practices (n = 15), who ordered the GC test for 146 prostate cancer patients with adverse pathologic features following RP (i.e.