UK rheumatologists use factors other than NICE guidelines to treat patients with RA

LONDON — Rheumatologists from the United Kingdom consider other factors apart from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, or NICE, clinical guidelines on cost to make decisions on anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy prescription doses, according to a speaker here at the EULAR Annual Congress.

“Rheumatologists’ … experiences come into some of this as well, so if they are used to using one particular treatment they would be more likely to use it subsequently,” Sean Gavan, PhD, of the Manchester Centre for Health Economics, United Kingdom, said during a press conference. “There was a sense from all of my participants that, to some extent, NICE guidance was restrictive of what they could do, and so to combat this, they were selective to what treatments they gave patients earlier on to free up more treatments down the line. Occasionally, they would manipulate the DAS28 score to give [anti-tumor necrosis factor] therapy to patients who, according to NICE guidance, would not be allowed to have that treatment.”

Sean Gavan

Gavan and colleagues conducted telephone interviews with 11 consultant rheumatologists from hospitals in England. Rheumatologists were asked to speak of factors that influence their decisions for treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which included the decision to initiate anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy, choice of first-line anti-TNF therapy and treatment options in remission. Investigators used thematic framework analysis to analyze interview transcripts.

Results showed that the participants’ choice for first-line anti-TNF treatment was rarely influenced by costs, except when local service commissioners offered a less expensive anti-TNF. Gavan and colleagues found when it came to first-line biosimilar anti-TNF agents, participants’ expressed cautious optimism due to potential cost savings. Participants’ tried to maintain clinical autonomy and involved patients in decision-making when use of cheapest anti-TNF was considered.

“A lot of the participants suggested the clinical evidence base was, perhaps, slightly ahead of what NICE was saying currently in its guidance, but then when they decided to implement certain treatments decisions they were selective over which pieces of evidence they used to guide certain decisions,” Gavan said. – by Monica Jaramillo

Reference:

Gavan S, et al. Abstract #OP0198-HPR. Presented at: EULAR Annual Congress; June 8-11, 2016; London.

Disclosure: Gavan reports no relevant financial disclosures.