title: How peptide technology has improved costs and outcomes in patients with heart failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Heart failure (HF) is characterized by substantial health and economic burden, mainly attributed to increased hospitalizations and readmissions. Its diagnosis remains challenging due to the non-specific nature of the initial symptoms of the disease. Recently, scientific evidence has highlighted the potential of natriuretic peptides (NP) in improving the diagnosis and prognosis of HF and, by extension, in restraining healthcare costs. The present review aimed at providing evidence of their optimal use in terms of economic and health outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic literature research limited to studies published from February 2006 to February 2016 was performed with the aim of identifying and analyzing all cost-effectiveness and other economic evaluation studies that investigated the economic and health outcomes of NPs use as screening and management tools for HF. Expert commentary: NP testing either added in the standard of care, or substituting frequently used diagnostic procedures for the diagnosis and management of HF, regardless of the healthcare setting of interest, was proved to be a valid tool for clinical decision-making. Moreover it was associated with improved patient outcomes and important cost-savings mainly attributed to lower admission and readmission rates, shorter hospitalization length and improved health-related quality of life.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Economics , National School of Public Health , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Kostas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Athanasakis
authors.affiliation: b Health Economist, Independent Researcher , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Ioli
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Arista
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Economics , National School of Public Health , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Thanos
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Balasopoulos
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Economics , National School of Public Health , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Boubouchairopoulou
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Economics , National School of Public Health , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kyriopoulos
mesh_terms: D017281:Cost of Illness; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003657:Decision Making; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000191:economics / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D045265:Natriuretic Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000191:economics; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life
chemical_list: D045265:Natriuretic Peptides
keywords: BNP; Heart failure; NT-proBNP; cost; cost-effectiveness; economic evaluation; natriuretic peptides