Valuation of transfusion-free living in MDS: results of health utility interviews with patients

Valuation of transfusion-free living in MDS: results of health utility interviews with patients

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Abstract Background This study measured how myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients value transfusion independence (TI), reduced transfusions (RT) and transfusion-dependence (TD) using health utility assessment methodology.Methods 47 MDS patients were interviewed, US (n = 8), France (n = 9), Germany (n = 9) and the UK (n = 21), to elicit the utility value of TI, RT and TD.Health states were developed based on literature; patient forum discussions; and were validated by a hematologist.Face-to-face interviews used the feeling thermometer Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Time Trade-Off (TTO) method to value the health states on RED a 0 (dead) to 1 (perfect health) scale.

Socio-demographic, clinical, and quality-of-life (EQ-5D) characteristics were surveyed to describe the patient sample.Results and Discussion The mean age was 67 years (range: 29-83); 45% male, 70% retired; 40% had secondary/high school education, or higher (32%), and 79% lived with family, a partner or spouse, or friends.The mean time from MDS diagnosis was 5 years (range:1-23).Most patients (87%) received previous transfusions and 49% had received a transfusion in the last 3 months.

Mean EQ-5D index score was 0.78; patients reported at least some problem with mobility (45%), usual activities (40%), pain/discomfort (47%), and anxiety/depression (34%).Few patients had difficulty understanding the VAS (n = 3) and TTO (n = 4) exercises.Utility scores for TI were higher Snacking than for RT (0.

84 vs.0.77; p Conclusion Patients value TI, suggesting an important role for new treatments aiming to achieve greater TI in MDS.These results can be used in preference-based health economic evaluation of new MDS treatments, such as in future cost-utility studies.