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In Denmark kidney transplantation is more cost-effective than dialysis
Cathrine Elgaard Jensen1, Preben Sørensen, Karin Dam Petersen
1Institut for Økonomi og Ledelse, Danish Center for Healthcare Improvements, Fibigerstræde 11, 68, Aalborg 9220, Denmark. celga@business.aau.dk.
Danish Medical Journal
|May 13, 2014
Summary
Kidney transplantation is more cost-effective than dialysis for end-stage renal disease patients. This study found transplantation to be cost-saving and preferable for improving patient outcomes and quality of life.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Health Economics
- Public Health
Background:
- End-stage renal disease (ESRD) affects approximately 5,000 Danish patients.
- Treatment options for ESRD include dialysis and kidney transplantation.
- A public health-care perspective was adopted for this cost-effectiveness analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the cost-effectiveness of kidney transplantation versus dialysis for ESRD patients.
- To compare the economic and clinical outcomes of transplantation and dialysis.
- To inform public health-care decisions regarding ESRD treatment.
Main Methods:
- A cost-utility analysis using a decision analytic Markov model.
- Inclusion of all relevant costs and effects for dialysis and transplantation.
- Probabilistic sensitivity analysis with Monte Carlo simulations to assess uncertainty.
Main Results:
- Kidney transplantation yielded a lower cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) at 810,516 DKK compared to dialysis at 1,032,934 DKK.
- Transplantation was found to be cost-saving and provided additional QALYs.
- Robustness of results confirmed by incremental cost-effectiveness scatter plots and acceptability curves.
Conclusions:
- Kidney transplantation demonstrates a favorable cost-effectiveness ratio compared to dialysis.
- Transplantation is the preferred treatment option for patients with end-stage renal disease.
- The findings support prioritizing kidney transplantation in public health-care strategies for ESRD.
