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Multidisciplinary program bested traditional method in HCV treatment
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Implementation of a multidisciplinary support program for hepatitis C antiviral treatment improved compliance, increased efficiency and lowered costs when compared with a conventional approach.
Compared with controls, patients who received multidisciplinary support had higher treatment compliance rates (78.9% vs. 94.6%; P=.0001); higher sustained virological response rates for all genotypes (61.9% vs. 77.1%; P=.006); and increased quality-adjusted life years (15.814 vs. 16.317).
Montserrat Garcia-Retortillo, MD, PhD, of the Parc de Salut MAR in Barcelona, Spain, and colleagues evaluated a multidisciplinary support program that included standard patient education, open and flexible visits scheduling, continued psychiatric evaluation, and active medication provided by hepatologists, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists and health care assistants in comparison with a conventional program.
The cohort included 278 patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) who were treated with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin. Of these patients, 131 were assigned to the multidisciplinary support program and 147 patients were assigned to the conventional approach group. Treatment adherence, sustained virological response, the use of health resources and cost-effectiveness of the program were assessed.
Overall costs were approximately $18,000 for the multidisciplinary program compared with approximately $22,000 for controls.
“Multidisciplinary support programs in HCV help to improve adherence and, as a result, we can reach excellent rates of sustained virological response, especially in the most difficult-to-treat patients as genotype 1 HCV-infected patients,” Garcia-Retortillo said in an interview. “We have demonstrated that HCV-infected patients treated with a multidisciplinary support program can achieve very high rates of sustained virological response. Moreover, a multidisciplinary support program is a cost-effective strategy since it is more effective and cheaper than the conventional strategy.”
For more information:
- Garcia-Retortillo M. Abstract #938.
Disclosure: Dr. Garcia-Retortillo reports no relevant financial disclosures.