Evidence map›Paper›PMID 21037827›Full record

ArticleHealthcare policy = Politiques de sante2009

Costs and benefits of free medications after myocardial infarction.

Irfan A Dhalla, Monique A Smith, Niteesh K Choudhry, Avram E Denburg

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Healthcare policy = Politiques de sante, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Understanding the economic impact of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS).The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care · 2016
    Article
  6. Estimated cost of universal public coverage of prescription drugs in Canada.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2015
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Money left on the table: generic drug prices in Canada.Healthcare policy = Politiques de sante · 2013
    Article
  9. Appropriateness of cardiovascular care in elderly adult cancer survivors.Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) · 2013
    Article
  10. The effect of cost on adherence to prescription medications in Canada.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2012
    Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Irfan A DhallaKeenan Research Centre, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Departments of Medicine and Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.
Monique A Smith
Niteesh K Choudhry
Avram E Denburg

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough combination pharmacotherapy after myocardial infarction dramatically reduces morbidity and mortality, the full benefits of secondary prevention medications remain unrealized owing to medication non-adherence. Because financial barriers are a major determinant of non-adherence, we examined the costs and benefits of providing free medications to myocardial infarction patients who do not have private insurance and are ineligible for substantial public coverage.

methodsAn economic evaluation combining decision analysis and Markov modelling was conducted to compare full public coverage of secondary prevention medications with the status quo. Costs and benefits were estimated using Canadian data wherever possible. The main outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio measured in cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained.

resultsFrom the perspective of the publicly funded healthcare system, full coverage resulted in greater quality-adjusted survival than the status quo (7.02 vs. 6.13 QALYs) but at increased cost ($20,423 vs. $17,173). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for full coverage compared to the status quo was $3,663/QALY. This result was robust to a wide range of sensitivity analyses. In a secondary analysis from the perspective of government, the ICER for full coverage compared to the status quo was $12,350/QALY. In this analysis, the ICER was sensitive to changes in price elasticity, but remained below $50,000/QALY as long as the elasticity remained below -0.035.

interpretationPublic payers in Canada should consider providing secondary prevention medications to myocardial infarction patients without private insurance free of charge. Full public coverage is cost-effective compared to the status quo.

Identifiers

PMID21037827
PMCPMC2805141

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.