Financial implications of dialysis modalities in the developing world: A Chinese perspective

End-stage renal disease has been imposing a heavy economic burden on public health; however, few studies have been performed on the cost-effectiveness of dialysis modalities. We aim to estimate the cost-effectiveness of different dialysis modalities in China.

Cost-effectiveness analyses were performed using Markov models based on published data of hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) modalities in China. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to identify key variables influencing the results.

Over a 10-year time horizon, the base-case cost-effectiveness analysis indicated that PD-first absolutely dominated the HD-first option by gaining 0.13 more quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and costing RMB ¥81,081 less. When using reported mortality of HD and PD from the United States, the PD-first option still dominated HD-first with higher QALYs and lower costs. Sensitivity analyses revealed that the results were more sensitive to the direct cost of HD, utility of HD, utility of PD, direct cost of PD, PD mortality, and HD mortality, while less sensitive to the indirect costs and transition probabilities. The HD utility needed to be at least 0.148 higher than PD utility for HD to be cost-effective. PD was about 72% likely to be considered cost-effective compared with HD, regardless of the willingness-to-pay for QALYs.

PD appears to be more cost-effective than HD in China, and the major influential factors on the cost-effectiveness are the direct costs of HD, utility of HD, utility of PD, direct costs of PD, PD mortality, and HD mortality.