Utility-based outcomes made easy: the number needed per quality-adjusted life year gained. An observational cohort study of tumor necrosis factor blockade in inflammatory arthritis from Southern Sweden.
OBJECTIVE
To introduce a novel, simple, utility-based outcome measure, the number needed per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained (NNQ), and to apply it in clinical practice in anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF)-treated patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and spondylarthritis (SpA).


METHODS
The NNQ is the number of patients one has to treat in order to gain 1 QALY. It is calculated as the inverted value of the utility gain (area under the curve) over 1 year in a cohort subjected to an intervention. EuroQol Index utility data from the South Swedish Arthritis Treatment register were used.


RESULTS
Patients with RA (n = 1,001), PsA (n = 241), and SpA (n = 255) were eligible for the study. First, second, and third treatment courses were studied. For RA, NNQ was 4.5, 6.4, and 5.2 for first, second, and third courses, respectively. For PsA and SpA, NNQ was 4.2-4.5, irrespective of treatment order. Treatment groups with <50 patients were not analyzed. During the study period 2002-2007, there were no secular trends of utility gains.


CONCLUSIONS
The NNQ is an easily derived and understandable utility-based outcome measure that may be useful for stakeholders and decision makers as well as for clinicians. It was readily applied in this study of TNF blockade across 3 arthritis diagnoses. NNQ varied little over diagnoses and treatment course order, with a possible exception in second treatment course in RA.
Gülfe
Anders
A
Lund University, Sweden. anders.gulfe@med.lu.se
Kristensen
Lars Erik
LE
Saxne
Tore
T
Jacobsson
Lennart T H
LT
Petersson
Ingemar F
IF
Geborek
Pierre
P
D000328:Adult; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D001688:Biological Products / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000592:standards; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D025241:Spondylarthritis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D001688:Biological Products; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha