Biomarkers sFLT-1/PlGF for the Definition of Behaviors in Severe Preeclampsia Incolombia: A Cost-Effectiveness Study

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of implementing sFLT-1/PlGF biomarker testing compared with standard clinical practice in patients over 18 years old with risk of preeclampsia confirmed in Colombia. The analysis focused on optimizing hospitalization allocation for severe preeclampsia risk over a 3-week horizon.

METHODS: An Excel-based model was developed from a third-party payer perspective to evaluate the performance of biomarker testing against symptom-based clinical assessment and the need for hospitalization due to severe preeclampsia. Clinical inputs and cost data were validated using clinical profiles and literature, supplemented by institutional data from a local healthcare provider.

RESULTS: Biomarker testing was found to be dominant, showing a 42.58% incremental effectiveness and saving COP 2,819,342, (approximately USD 688; 1 USD = 4,093 COP). Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that biomarker testing led to improved hospitalization allocation and lower costs across 10,000 iterations of probabilistic analysis. Deterministic sensitivity analysis confirmed the dominance conclusion observed in the base case scenario.

CONCLUSIONS: sFLT-1/PlGF ratio testing proved to be a money saving technology while improve the health benefits compared to standard practice, achieving appropriate hospitalization allocation for 68.8% of patients compared to 26.2% under usual care, while also reducing hospital aggregated care costs.