Health Economic Evaluation of a Randomized Controlled Trial (EMBLA Study), an Internet-based Treatment for Provoked Vulvodynia

Overview

Journal Sci Rep

Specialty Science

Date 2023 Apr 17

PMID 37069199

Authors

A Hess Engstrom

N Bohm-Starke

M Buhrman

U Hogberg

A Skalkidou

S Lagenskiold

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Internet-based treatment (IBT) for provoked vulvodynia (PVD) may reduce pain during intercourse and increases pain acceptance. However, a there is still a knowledge gap regarding the cost-effectiveness of IBT for PVD. The aim of this study was to perform a health economic evaluation of guided internet-based intervention for PVD as an addition to standard treatment. The sample consisted of 99 women with a PVD diagnosis. Healthcare related costs, health-related quality of life, and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) were analyzed. After the IBT, the intervention group had fewer visits to a midwife than the control group (p = 0.03), but no between-group differences were found for visits to other professionals, treatment length, health-related quality of life, QALYs, and costs for treatment. It was estimated a cost of 260.77 € for a clinical meaningful change in pain acceptance. Internet-based treatment as add-on to clinical treatment may lower number of visits to a healthcare.

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