Gains in health utility associated with urinary catheter innovations

Abstract

Purpose

To estimate gains in health utility for two different catheter features and a support service related to urinary catheters used for intermittent catheterization.

Patients and methods

Two internet-based time trade-off (TTO) surveys were undertaken to value vignettes describing two innovative catheter features and a support service. The first TTO survey “Size and Service” included catheters with compact design and the availability of a support service for users; the second TTO survey “Phthalates” included avoidance of potentially harmful phthalates in the material of the catheters. All participants were from the UK; they traded health states against a time horizon that matched their total life expectancy. Sensitivity analyses were done to estimate the impact of extreme values on disutilities.

Results

The participants (n=890) estimated the incremental value of 0.031 (95% CI: 0.024–0.039), 0.009 (95% CI: 0.003–0.015), and 0.037 (95% CI: 0.027–0.046), respectively, for catheters with compact design, availability of support service, and catheters not containing phthalates.

Conclusions

Participants valued all three improvements in catheter design. To capture the impact of such design improvements on quality of life and utilities, vignette-based approaches can be a useful supplement to the conventional, generic tools.

Keywords:

• intermittent catheterization
• time trade-off
• vignette-based approach
• health-related quality of life
• QALY

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Marksman Healthcare Communications for editorial services and Jeppe Sørensen from Coloplast A/S for contributing with interpretation of data and a scientific review of the manuscript. Coloplast A/S provided research funding for Incentive Partners Aps for conducting the survey and for Andrew Lloyd for expert advice and medical writing. Marksman Healthcare Communications received funding from Coloplast A/S for editorial services.

Author contributions

All the authors contributed to the survey design, interpretation of the results, and reporting of the study and the underlying work. All authors contributed toward data analysis, drafting and revising the paper and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work. The authors take full responsibility for the content of this manuscript.

Disclosure

AK, MAA, NT, and YI occasionally provide expert knowledge to advisory boards at Coloplast A/S. MB is employed by Incentive Partners Aps. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work