Cost-Effectiveness of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation vs. Antidepressants
2015
This article, published in Value in Health, describes the development of a Markov model to compare the cost-effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) therapy with pharmacotherapy for the treatment of patients with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. Pharmacotherapy includes selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, tricyclics, noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Data on model input parameters are obtained from published literature, national cost reports, and expert opinions. Analyses are conducted over a 3-year time horizon and cost estimates include health care resource items.
The results of this study indicate that compared with pharmacotherapy, rTMS is a dominant/cost-effective alternative for patients with treatment-resistant depressive disorder. The model predicts that QALYs gained with rTMS were higher than those gained with antidepressant medications (1.25 vs. 1.18 QALYs) while costs were slightly less (AU $31,003 vs. AU $31,190). In the Australian context, at the willingness-to-pay threshold of AU $50,000 per QALY gain, the probability that rTMS was cost-effective was 73%. These results are robust in sensitivity analyses.
Based on these findings the authors conclude that rTMS is superior when compared with antidepressants in terms of cost-effectiveness for treatment-resistant patients with major depressive disorder.
Cost-Effectiveness of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation vs. Antidepressants
Source:
Nguyen KH, Gordon LG. Cost-Effectiveness of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation versus Antidepressant Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression. Value in Health 2015; 18 (5): 597-604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jval.2015.04.004