title: Cost-effectiveness of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) for the treatment of stable angina in the United Kingdom.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study is to assess the cost-effectiveness of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) compared with no treatment as additional therapy to usual care for the treatment of chronic stable angina from the perspective of the UK National Health Service.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study design was a systematic review of published evidence, use of expert clinical opinion, and decision analytic cost-effectiveness model. The systematic review was conducted and statistical methods used to synthesize the effectiveness evidence from randomized control trials. Formal methods were used to elicit opinion from clinical experts where no evidence was available. These provide informed "priors" on key model parameters. A decision analytic model was developed to assess the costs and health consequences associated with the primary outcome of the trials over a lifetime time horizon. The main outcome measures were costs from a health service perspective and outcomes measured as quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of EECP was 18,643 pound sterling for each additional QALY, with a probability of being cost-effective of 0.44 and 0.70 at cost-effectiveness thresholds of 20,000 pound sterling and 30,000 pound sterling per QALY gained, respectively. Results were sensitive to the duration of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) benefits from treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The long-term maintenance of HRQoL benefits of EECP is central to the estimate of cost-effectiveness. The results from a single randomized control trial do not provide firm evidence of the clinical or cost-effectiveness of EECP in stable angina. Long-term follow-up trials assessing quality of life from EECP are required.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Economics, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom. cm535@york.ac.uk
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McKenna
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Claxton
authors.forename: Catriona
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McDaid
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suekarran
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Light
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chester
authors.forename: John G F
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Cleland
authors.forename: Nerys
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Woolacott
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sculpher
mesh_terms: D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000628:therapy*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D015908:Counterpulsation / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006113:United Kingdom