Objective: to compare the cost-effectiveness of drug treatments for HIV-infected inpatients with cryptococcal meningitis (CM) or tuberculosis at a tertiary hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.
Methods: We constructed a simple decision-tree model to assess the cost-effectiveness of each treatment intervention, using local data to estimate costs, natural history, and survival estimates.
Results:
Discussion: The costs of treating HIV-infected inpatients with CM and those with TB are roughly comparable. As hospitalization is a high proportion of total costs (68-74%), substantial savings could be realized if such inpatients could be managed at less-costly secondary facilities. The cost-effectiveness of anti-fungal therapy becomes more attractive if clinicians could predict those patients who are likely to benefit from treatment (i.e., those who survive >2 weeks with therapy).
Conclusions: Given the availability of local data, robust cost-effectiveness analyses are feasible in this context. Additional analyses would allow for comparative assessments of medical interventions in South Africa.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to: (1) compare pharmacy to total health care expenditures for each HIV-related condition; (2) identify the policy measures that may make the described treatment interventions more feasible; (3) assess the relative value of economic analyses in contexts where such research is limited; and (4) explore both the policy and methodological challenges of applying standard cost-effectiveness techniques in a developing country context.
Keywords: Economic Analysis, Medical Care
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.