Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29300755›Full record

Observational studyPloS one2018

Incremental cost-effectiveness of screening and laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy and macular edema in Malawi.

Damir Vetrini, Christine A Kiire, Philip I Burgess, Simon P Harding, Petros C Kayange, Khumbo Kalua, Gerald Msukwa, Nicholas A V Beare, Jason Madan

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
1.9field-weighted citation impact, top 16% 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

9 citing papers in PubMed, 20 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. A Survey of the Management of Diabetic Macular Oedema in Sub-Saharan Africa.Nigerian medical journal : journal of the Nigeria Medical Association
    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

9 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.

Damir VetriniSDA Bocconi School of Management, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-6076-2355
Christine A KiireOxford Eye Hospital, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Philip I BurgessDepartment of Eye and Vision Science, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Simon P HardingDepartment of Eye and Vision Science, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Petros C KayangeCollege of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
Khumbo KaluaCollege of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
Gerald MsukwaLions Sight First Eye Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.
Nicholas A V BeareDepartment of Eye and Vision Science, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Jason MadanCentre for Applied Health Research and Delivery, Division of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, United Kingdom.
University of Liverpool · GBUniversity of Malawi · MWBlantyre Institute for Community Ophthalmology · MWBocconi University · ITUniversity of Warwick · GB

Funding

Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo investigate the economic impact of introducing targeted screening and laser photocoagulation treatment for sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy and macular edema in a setting with no previous screening or laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy in sub-Saharan Africa. MATERIALS AND

methodsA cohort Markov model was built to compare combined targeted screening and laser treatment for patients with sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy and macular edema against no intervention. Primary outcomes were incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained and per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted. Primary data were collected on 357 participants from the Malawi Diabetic Retinopathy Study, a prospective, observational cohort study. Multiple scenarios were explored and a probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed.

resultsIn the base case (age: 50 years, service utilization rate: 80%), the cost of the intervention and the years of severe visual impairment averted per patient screened were $209 and 2.2 years respectively. Applying the World Health Organization threshold of cost-effectiveness for Malawi ($679), the base case was cost-effective when QALYs were used ($400 per QALY gained) but not when DALYs were used ($766 per DALY averted). The intervention was more cost-effective when it targeted younger patients (age: 30 years) and less cost-effective when the utilization rate was lowered to 50%.

conclusionsAnnual photographic screening of diabetic patients attending medical diabetes clinics in Malawi, with the provision of laser treatment for those with sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy and macular edema, appears to be cost-effective in terms of QALYs gained, in our base case scenario. Cost-effectiveness improves if services are utilized more intensively and extended to younger patients.

Indexed as

Cost-Benefit AnalysisAdultAge FactorsDiabetic RetinopathyHumansLaser TherapyMacular EdemaMalawiMarkov ChainsMass ScreeningMiddle AgedProspective Studies

Identifiers

PMID29300755
PMCPMC5754125
OpenAlexW2781520198

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.