Published Sep 25, 2013

Rome, Italy - Hepatitis C is a major health policy concern as its complications dramatically affect the patient’s quality of life and impose substantial consumption of health care resources. Since the progression of the disease is long and effective treatments are currently available, early detection might guarantee faster treatment and a more rational allocation of resources. Researchers from within the Workshop of Economics and Drugs in Hepatology, a permanent round table established in Italy, which includes an expert panel of clinicians, ethicists, economists and patients representatives, set out to investigate this proposal.  A model-based economic evaluation was carried out to assess the affordability of an anti-HCV screening program for the general population under the perspective of the Italian National Health Service. The researchers found that the cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) of the screening program was below the acceptability threshold implicitly adopted by the decision maker, especially in high prevalence populations. “Different solutions may be suitable to different regions, rather than a unique standardized national program. Moreover, screening is more cost-effective in cohorts with longer life expectancy.” commented Dr. Ruggeri, project manager of the study and permanent member of the Workshop of Economics and Drugs in Hepatology. The full study,” Economic Assessment of an Anti-HCV Screening Program in Italy,” is published in Value in Health.

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Value in Health (ISSN 1098-3015) publishes papers, concepts, and ideas that advance the field of pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research as well as policy papers to help health care leaders make evidence-based decisions. The journal is published bi-monthly and has over 8,000 subscribers (clinicians, decision-makers, and researchers worldwide).