Cost-utility study of home-based cryotherapy device for wart treatment: a randomized, controlled, and investigator-blinded trial

Abstract

Background

Cryotherapy is typically performed by physicians. No cost-utility studies of home-based cryotherapy have been reported.

Objectives

To study the cost utility of home-based cryotherapy devices and in-hospital liquid nitrogen therapy for cutaneous warts.

Materials and methods

This randomized, controlled, investigator-blinded trial was carried out on patients with cutaneous warts. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: home-based cryotherapy and in-hospital liquid nitrogen therapy. Clinical examinations were conducted at baseline and monthly until cure, and outcomes (cure rate, side effects, total costs, and quality of life) were compared. A cost-utility analysis was performed.

Results

Nineteen of 22 patients completed the treatment and were analyzed. The efficacy of home-based cryotherapy and in-hospital therapy was 72.8% and 64.3%, respectively. Side effects (pain, redness, and burning) were observed. The mean numbers of medical visits were 2.83 for home-based therapy and 3.30 for in-hospital therapy. The total costs for home-based therapy and the in-hospital therapy were US $76.03 and $100.45, respectively. The home-based therapy had 0.2297 quality-adjusted life years, slightly higher than the corresponding value of 0.2254 for in-hospital therapy.

Conclusions

Home-based cryotherapy devices are a cost-saving strategy with similar efficacy to in-hospital liquid nitrogen therapy.

Keywords:

• Cost-effectiveness
• cryotherapy
• cutaneous wart

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Associate Professor Chulaluk Komoltri and Ms Chulaporn Pooliam for their assistance with the statistical analyses. We are also indebted to Mr David Park for the English-language editing of this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.