Cost effectiveness of biventricular pacemakers in heart failure patients.
BACKGROUND
Biventricular pacemakers have been shown to reduce mortality and hospitalizations in heart failure (HF) patients and are indicated for those with a New York Heart Association functional class of III or IV and a QRS interval of >130 ms. However, these devices currently cost in the region of dollar US 33,500 and require replacement upon battery depletion. Therefore, determination of the cost effectiveness of resynchronization therapy is important, although little data have been published to date on this topic.


RESULTS
A cost-utility analysis from the healthcare perspective was performed using HF patients who received a biventricular pacing device in the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. The comparator was a similarly profiled group of patients who did not receive the device but were treated medically. A Markov model was used to investigate the cost effectiveness at 1 and 5 years. Second-order Monte-Carlo simulation was used to determine the variability in results, using probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Medical treatment was dominated by biventricular pacemaker treatment at both 1 and 5 years of follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Biventricular device insertion is an economically attractive treatment option for clinically indicated HF patients.
Department of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland. adrienneheerey@ireland.com
Adrienne
A
Heerey
Michael
M
Lauer
Firas
F
Alsolaiman
Jennifer
J
Czerr
Karen
K
James
D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control