Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28940316›Full record

Trial reportThe British journal of dermatology2018

Doxycycline compared with prednisolone therapy for patients with bullous pemphigoid: cost-effectiveness analysis of the BLISTER trial.

J M Mason, J R Chalmers, T Godec, A J Nunn, G Kirtschig, F Wojnarowska, M Childs, D Whitham, E Schmidt, K Harman and 4 more

Open access · hybridAbstract readComparative StudyMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in The British journal of dermatology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.0field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Interventions for bullous pemphigoid.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 9 institutions in 2 countries.

J M MasonWarwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, U.K.ORCID 0000-0001-9210-4082
J R ChalmersCentre of Evidence Based Dermatology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2NR, U.K.ORCID 0000-0002-2281-7367
T GodecMRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL, Aviation House, 125 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6NH, U.K.
A J NunnMRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL, Aviation House, 125 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6NH, U.K.
G KirtschigCentre of Evidence Based Dermatology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2NR, U.K.
F WojnarowskaNuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, U.K.
M ChildsNottingham Clinical Trials Unit, Nottingham Health Science Partners, QMC, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, U.K.
D WhithamNottingham Clinical Trials Unit, Nottingham Health Science Partners, QMC, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, U.K.
E SchmidtDepartment of Dermatology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
K HarmanDermatology Department, Leicester Royal Infirmary, University Hospitals Leicester, Leicester, LE1 5WW, U.K.
S WaltonCastle Hill Hospital, Castle Road, Cottingham, Hull, HU16 5JQ, U.K.
A ChapmanQueen Elizabeth Hospital, Greenwich, London, SE18 4QH, U.K.
H C WilliamsCentre of Evidence Based Dermatology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2NR, U.K.
U.K. Dermatology Clinical Trials Network BLISTER Study Group
University of Nottingham · GBMRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL · GBNottingham Biomedical Research Centre · GBCastle Hill Hospital · GBLeicester Royal Infirmary · GBQueen Elizabeth Hospital · GBUniversity of Lübeck · DEUniversity of Oxford · GBUniversity of Warwick · GB

Funding

Department of Health HTA/06/403/51
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune blistering skin disorder associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Doxycycline and prednisolone to treat bullous pemphigoid were compared within a randomized controlled trial (RCT).

objectivesTo compare the cost-effectiveness of doxycycline-initiated and prednisolone-initiated treatment for patients with BP.

methodsQuality-of-life (EuroQoL-5D-3L) and resource data were collected as part of the BLISTER trial: a multicentre, parallel-group, investigator-blinded RCT. Within-trial analysis was performed using bivariate regression of costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), with multiple imputation of missing data, informing a probabilistic assessment of incremental treatment cost-effectiveness from a health service perspective.

resultsIn the base case, there was no robust difference in costs or QALYs per patient at 1 year comparing doxycycline- with prednisolone-initiated therapy [net cost £959, 95% confidence interval (CI) -£24 to £1941; net QALYs -0·024, 95% CI -0·088 to 0·041]. However, the findings varied by baseline blister severity. For patients with mild or moderate blistering (≤ 30 blisters) net costs and outcomes were similar. For patients with severe blistering (> 30 blisters) net costs were higher (£2558, 95% CI -£82 to £5198) and quality of life poorer (-0·090 QALYs, 95% CI -0·22 to 0·042) for patients starting on doxycycline. The probability that doxycycline would be cost-effective for those with severe pemphigoid was 1·5% at a willingness to pay of £20 000 per QALY.

conclusionsConsistently with the clinical findings of the BLISTER trial, patients with mild or moderate blistering should receive treatment guided by the safety and effectiveness of the drugs and patient preference - neither strategy is clearly a preferred use of National Health Service resources. However, prednisolone-initiated treatment may be more cost-effective for patients with severe blistering.

Indexed as

AgedCost-Benefit AnalysisDermatologic AgentsDoxycyclineFemaleHealth StatusHumansMalePemphigoid, BullousPrednisoloneQuality-Adjusted Life YearsQuality of LifeTreatment OutcomeDermatologic AgentsDoxycyclinePrednisolone

Identifiers

PMID28940316
PMCPMC5813790
OpenAlexW2756905600

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.