Population-based return on investment of deploying transient elastography.

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Health Economics
• Medical Technology Assessment

Background:

• Fatty liver disease (FLD) is a growing epidemic with significant healthcare costs.
• Current diagnostic methods for FLD can be invasive, costly, and may lead to delayed diagnosis.
• There is a need for cost-effective and efficient methods for detecting and monitoring FLD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the cost-saving potential for payers of implementing vibration-controlled transient elastography/controlled attenuation parameter (VCTE/CAP) devices.
• To compare the economic outcomes of current FLD management pathways with those incorporating VCTE/CAP technology.
• To quantify the financial benefits of early FLD detection and reduced reliance on traditional diagnostic procedures.

Main Methods:

• A cost-effectiveness model was developed comparing current FLD management with VCTE/CAP adoption.
• The model utilized administrative claims data from 5 million commercial and 3 million Medicare members.
• Disease progression, healthcare costs, utilization, and expert clinical opinion informed model parameters.

Main Results:

• VCTE/CAP deployment demonstrated positive net savings within 2-3 years.
• Estimated 5-year net savings reached up to $2.64 PMPM for Medicare and $1.91 PMPM for commercial payers.
• Savings stem from early FLD identification, proactive intervention, and reduced use of liver biopsies, imaging, and lab tests.

Conclusions:

• Implementing VCTE/CAP devices presents a financially advantageous strategy for managing FLD.
• The technology supports early detection, enabling interventions that slow disease progression.
• VCTE/CAP offers a cost-effective solution to address the rising prevalence of fatty liver disease.