AR: Current imaging cost-utility analyses offer incomplete picture
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In addition to some of the more easily measured benefits, diagnostic imaging has planning value, in that it helps patients make better decisions, and psychological value related to patients’ senses of themselves, according to Hansel J. Otero, MD, and colleagues at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. These benefits to emotional, social, cognitive or behavioral outcomes—the so-called intrinsic value—are not captured in current CUAs. Measurements of variation in imaging test accuracy, inconclusive results and associated risks also have lacked uniformity in the literature, according to the authors.
“The challenge of linking radiology to outcomes beyond the traditional model remains an important topic for radiologists because diagnostic test results are intermediate outcomes that do not directly determine patients’ health outcomes,” wrote Otero et al. “The validation of methods to determine the value of imaging beyond changes in treatment should be made a priority for health economic researchers.”
The researchers systematically reviewed literature on the value of imaging covering CUAs published between 1976 and 2008. Ultimately, 96 published CUAs evaluating 155 different imaging technologies were included in the final sample. Slightly more than half evaluated the performance of a single modality, with the most common areas of interest being cardiovascular imaging and neuroradiology.
Only 23 percent of the CUAs considered inconclusive or indeterminate results, and risk of testing was reported for 21 percent of imaging technologies.
The intrinsic value of imaging unrelated to treatment was addressed in 16 percent of CUAs, and the majority of those instances were merely mentions in the discussion or limitations sections of the study.
“Although attempts have been made to measure and model the prognostic value of imaging, none of the publications incorporated this type of metric into their analyses,” wrote the authors. “We hypothesize that investigators might have tried to avoid the introduction of additional uncertainty and potential bias.”
The authors suggested that future research incorporate a reasonable rate of inconclusive results, as that would more closely resemble real-world clinical practice. Radiation risk, now a more common concern both in radiology and among the general public, should be accounted for as well to enhance the value of the studies and make a more fair comparison between management plans.
“Similarly, the incorporation of imaging test accuracy with its variations, inconclusive results, and imaging test risks has lacked uniformity in the cost-utility literature,” wrote the authors. “Acknowledgment of these characteristics in future cost-utility publications evaluating diagnostic imaging will enhance their value and provide results that more closely resemble routine clinical practice.”
Evan Godt, Writer
Evan joined TriMed in 2011, writing primarily for Health Imaging. Prior to diving into medical journalism, Evan worked for the Nine Network of Public Media in St. Louis. He also has worked in public relations and education. Evan studied journalism at the University of Missouri, with an emphasis on broadcast media.