HCV elimination plan leads to significant benefits in managing liver-related diseases and hospital interventions: a regional simulation

ABSTRACT

Objectives: This article presents a 3-year budget impact simulation on the effects of a chronic Hepatitis C (HCV) eradication plan in real-life costs incurred by the Regional Health Service.

Methods: The Liguria Region network performed a prospective 3-year (2017–2019) timeframe horizon trends simulation analysis focusing on management interventions and costs. It involved all the eight prescribing centers in the region, starting from retrospective historical performance data and assuming the impact of sustained viral response rates for patients treated for HCV. Data on hospital admissions, medical visits, number of patients, and deaths were collected through the healthcare database.

Results: At the beginning of 2017, 2,940 patients were eligible for HCV treatment with direct-acting antivirals. Assuming to treat this entire population with a success rate of 90%, the events related to liver complications in the horizon would decrease to 5,538 cumulatively (−35%), with a 27% reduction of direct costs, showing a global savings of 24,779.024 Euros.

Conclusion: Treating the entire eligible HCV population would lead to significant benefits and savings in managing liver-related diseases and their direct costs, opening opportunities to re-think new settings for the future organization of liver disease management in the regional health system.

KEYWORDS:

• HCV
• liver disease costs
• budget impact
• hospital services
• DAA

Acknowledgments

We want to acknowledge all the HIV/HCV Collaborative Liguria Group.

The authors are deeply grateful to Monica Valento for her help in reviewing this manuscript.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer Disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Author contributions

ADB and GC designed the study. GC and LT drafted the paper. AP,DM, and PO worked on the analysis and interpretation. All authors approved the paper in all aspects.

Availability of data and material

The data sets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on prior request

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.