Modelling the case for cost-effectiveness of interventions to improve medication adherence in patients with difficult...

Asthma is a prevalent non-communicable disease in high-income countries, affecting more than 10% of their populations. While often symptomatically mild it accounts for 2-3% of primary care appointments, 60,000 hospital admissions, and 1,200 deaths annually in England. Importantly, a significant proportion of these events are the result of poor adherence to prescribed and effective treatments, with 60% of hospital admissions attributed to suboptimal compliance. This study aims to support the development and commissioning of interventions by establishing the value case for improving medication adherence.

A probabilistic cohort decision model was developed with the aim of estimating the long-term health impacts and resultant costs to the healthcare system of different levels of population medication adherence for those with difficult-to-control asthma. The model applies a Markov structure based on the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines to define the level of asthma control. Informative parameters are drawn from existing published literature supplemented by expert input where required.

Improved adherence is associated with reduced asthma exacerbations and better overall health of the cohort, measured in life years and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). For instance, an educational intervention that increased adherence from 50% to 70% reduced exacerbations by 1.75 over 20 years, while increasing QALYs by 0.20, and reducing the healthcare costs by £989.

Significant economic and health benefits can be achieved with effective interventions to improve treatment adherence in asthma. This study provides a value case for developing and commissioning such interventions.