title: A Health Economic Evaluation of Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation: Guideline Adherence Versus the Observed Treatment Strategy Prior to 2012 in Denmark.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In 2012 the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) published new guidelines on pharmacological stroke prophylaxis in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF). The health economics of adhering to these guidelines in clinical practice remains to be elucidated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This paper offers a health economic evaluation of two stroke-prophylactic treatment strategies: complete national adherence to the ESC guidelines on stroke prophylaxis in AF versus stroke-prophylactic treatment prior to 2012 in Denmark.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cost-utility analysis was performed to compare two treatment strategies. The first strategy reflected national guideline adherence with the use of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (i.e. dabigatran etexilate), warfarin, and no treatment. The second strategy reflected observed stroke prophylaxis prior to 2012 with the utilization of warfarin, acetylsalicylic acid, and no treatment. A Danish health sector perspective was adopted. A Markov model was designed and populated with information on input parameters from the literature and local cost data reflecting 2014 values. A modeled patient cohort was constructed with a risk profile intended to reflect that of the Danish patient population with AF. The applied outcome was quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio amounted to <euro>3557 per QALY for the guideline-adherent treatment strategy (GTS) compared with the pre-2012 treatment strategy. This ratio is below a threshold of <euro>25,000 (£20,000) per QALY. Sensitivity analyses revealed that the result was largely robust to changes in input parameters. All analyses found the GTS to be cost effective.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Guideline adherence is a cost-effective treatment strategy compared with the strategy employed prior to 2012 for pharmacological stroke prophylaxis in AF.
authors.affiliation: Danish Center for Healthcare Improvements, Aalborg University, Fibigerstræde 11, 9220, Aalborg Øst, Denmark, asv@business.aau.dk.
authors.forename: Anne Sig
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Vestergaard
authors.forename: Lars Holger
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Ehlers
mesh_terms: D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003718:Denmark; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008390:Markov Chains; D018803:Models, Economic; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000191:economics*; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D020521:Stroke / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants