1.
Health economics of Patient Blood Management: a cost-benefit analysis based on a meta-analysis
Meybohm P, Straub N, Fullenbach C, Judd L, Kleineruschkamp A, Taeuber I, Zacharowski K, Choorapoikayil S
Vox sanguinis. 2019
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Patient Blood Management (PBM) is the timely application of evidence-based medical and surgical concepts designed to improve haemoglobin concentration, optimize haemostasis and minimize blood loss in an effort to improve patient outcomes. The focus of this cost-benefit analysis is to analyse the economic benefit of widespread implementation of a multimodal PBM programme. MATERIALS AND METHODS Based on a recent meta-analysis including 17 studies (>235 000 patients) comparing PBM with control care and data from the University Hospital Frankfurt, a cost-benefit analysis was performed. Outcome data were red blood cell (RBC) transfusion rate, number of transfused RBC units, and length of hospital stay (LOS). Costs were considered for the following three PBM interventions as examples: anaemia management including therapy of iron deficiency, use of cell salvage and tranexamic acid. For sensitivity analysis, a Monte Carlo simulation was performed. RESULTS Iron supplementation was applied in 3.1%, cell salvage in 65% and tranexamic acid in 89% of the PBM patients. In total, applying these three PBM interventions costs euro129.04 per patient. However, PBM was associated with a reduction in transfusion rate, transfused RBC units per patient, and LOS which yielded to mean savings of euro150.64 per patient. Thus, the overall benefit of PBM implementation was euro21.60 per patient. In the Monte Carlo simulation, the cost savings on the outcome side exceeded the PBM costs in approximately 2/3 of all repetitions and the total benefit was euro1 878 000 in 100.000 simulated patients. CONCLUSION Resources to implement a multimodal PBM concept optimizing patient care and safety can be cost-effectively.
2.
A model-based cost-effectiveness analysis of patient blood management
Kleineruschkamp A, Meybohm P, Straub N, Zacharowski K, Choorapoikayil S
Blood Transfusion = Trasfusione Del Sangue. 2018;:1-17.
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patient blood management (PBM) is a multidisciplinary concept focused on the management of anaemia, minimisation of iatrogenic blood loss and rational use of allogeneic blood products. The aims of this study were: (i) to analyse post-operative outcome in patients with liberal vs restrictive exposure to allogeneic blood products and (ii) to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of PBM in patients undergoing surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS A systematic literature review and meta-analysis were performed to compare post-operative complications in predominantly non-transfused patients (restrictive transfusion group) and patients who received one to three units of red blood cells (liberal transfusion group). Outcome measures included sepsis with/without pneumonia, acute renal failure, acute myocardial infarction and acute stroke. In a second step, a health economic model was developed to calculate cost-effectiveness of PBM (PBM-arm vs control-arm) for simulated cohorts of 10,000 cardiac and non-cardiac surgical patients based on the results of the meta-analysis and costs. RESULTS Out of 478 search results, 22 studies were analysed in the meta-analysis. The pooled relative risk of any complication in the restrictive transfusion group was 0.43 for non-cardiac and 0.34 for cardiac surgical patients. In the simulation model, PBM was related to reduced complications (1,768 vs 1,245) and complication-related deaths (411 vs 304) compared to standard care. PBM-related costs of therapy exceeded costs of the control arm by euro 150 per patient. However, total costs, including hospitalisation, were higher in the control-arm for both non-cardiac (euro 2,885.11) and cardiac surgery patients (euro 1,760.69). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio including hospitalisation showed savings of euro 30,458 (non-cardiac and cardiac surgery patients) for preventing one complication and euro 128,023 (non-cardiac and cardiac surgery patients) for prevention of one complication-related death in the PBM-arm. DISCUSSION Our results indicate that PBM may be associated with fewer adverse clinical outcomes compared to control management and may, thereby, be cost-effective.