Improving Adherence to Cardiovascular Therapies: An Economic Evaluation of a Randomized Pragmatic Trial

Abstract

Objective: Preplanned economic analysis of a pragmatic trial using electronic-medical-record-linked interactive voice recognition (IVR) reminders for enhancing adherence to cardiovascular medications (i.e., statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors [ACEIs], and angiotensin receptor blockers [ARBs]).

Methods: Three groups, usual care (UC), IVR, and IVR plus educational materials (IVR+), with 21,752 suboptimally adherent patients underwent follow-up for 9.6 months on average. Costs to implement and deliver the intervention (from a payer perspective) were tracked during the trial. Medical care costs and outcomes were ascertained using electronic medical records.

Results: Per-patient intervention costs ranged from $9 to $17 for IVR and from $36 to $47 for IVR+. For ACEI/ARB, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for each percent adherence increase was about 3 times higher with IVR+ than with IVR ($6 and $16 for IVR and IVR+, respectively). For statins, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for each percent adherence increase was about 7 times higher with IVR+ than with IVR ($6 and $43 for IVR and IVR+, respectively). Considering potential cost offsets from reduced cardiovascular events, the probability of breakeven was the highest for UC, but the IVR-based interventions had a higher probability of breakeven for subgroups with a baseline low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level of more than 100 mg/dl and those with two or more calls.

Conclusions: We found that the use of an automated voice messaging system to promote adherence to ACEIs/ARBs and statins may be cost-effective, depending on a decision maker's willingness to pay for unit increase in adherence. When considering changes in LDL level and downstream medical care offsets, UC is the optimal strategy for the general population. However, IVR-based interventions may be the optimal choice for those with elevated LDL values at baseline.

Keywords: adherence; cardiovascular; diabetes; economics.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: The content of this article—which includes design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; and preparation, review, and approval of the manuscript—is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality by which this project was funded.

Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Figures

Fig. 1 –

Cost-effectiveness acceptability curves. ACEI, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker; IVR, interactive voice recognition; IVR+, IVR plus educational materials; LDL, low-density lipoprotein.