Cost-effective care in eosinophilic esophagitis

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Health Economics

Background:

• Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic immune-mediated esophageal disease.
• Despite being considered rare, EoE imposes significant healthcare costs and disease burden.
• Limited research exists on the economic impact and cost-effective management of EoE.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the costs associated with EoE.
• To identify the primary drivers of these costs.
• To propose strategies for cost-effective EoE care and highlight research gaps.

Main Methods:

• A narrative literature review was conducted.
• The review encompassed studies from 1977 to March 2019.
• Focus was placed on cost and cost-effectiveness analyses specific to EoE.

Main Results:

• High EoE costs stem from diagnostic delays, endoscopy, off-label medications, dietary changes, specialist visits, and complications.
• Cost-effective care for EoE is understudied, necessitating a patient-centric approach.
• Key research areas include predicting treatment response, noninvasive monitoring, and validating multidisciplinary care.

Conclusions:

• A patient-centric, shared decision-making model is optimal for cost-effective EoE care.
• Rational diagnostic and treatment strategies, effective maintenance therapy, and monitoring are crucial.
• Further research is needed to optimize the management and reduce the economic burden of EoE.