Living with severe multiple sclerosis: Cost-effectiveness of a palliative care intervention and cost of illness study

Abstract

Background: Little is known about the economic consequences of living with severe multiple sclerosis (SMS).

Aims: To assess the cost-effectiveness of a home-based palliative approach (HPA) for people with SMS (pwSMS). To assess direct healthcare costs in this population.

Methods: PwSMS from three Italian centers received (2:1 ratio) HPA or usual care over six months. Direct healthcare costs were collected on a monthly basis. Incremental cost-effectiveness was gauged from a national healthcare system (NHS) and a personal perspective, considering the Palliative Outcome Scale-Symptoms-MS (POS-S-MS) and the EuroQol five-dimension descriptive system quality-adjusted life years (EQ-5D-3L QALYs), both completed at baseline, after three and six months.

Results: Of 78 randomized pwSMS, 76 (50 HPA, 26 usual care) were analyzed. Mean QALYs were close to zero, and the mean group difference was -0.006 (95% CI -0.057 to 0.044). The mean baseline-adjusted cost difference was € -394 (95% confidence interval, CI -3,532 to 2,743). POS-S-MS cost-effectiveness showed a slight mean reduction of symptom burden (-1.9; 95% CI -1.1 to 5.0) with unchanged costs. Mean direct costs due to MS were € 23,195/year, almost equally distributed between NHS (€ 13,108) and pwSMS (€ 10,087). Personal care, medications and home rehabilitation accounted for 80% of total expenditures. Most personal care costs were covered by pwSMS, and these costs were 3/4 of pwSMS out-of-pocket.

Conclusions: The slight reduction of symptom burden produced by the HPA was not associated with an increase in costs. NHS and pwSMS almost equally sustained these costs.

Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN73082124.

Keywords: Cost of illness; Cost-effectiveness; Multiple sclerosis; Palliative care.