Cost-Effectiveness of Group-Based Outpatient Physical Therapy After Total Knee Replacement: Results From the Economic Evaluation Alongside the ARENA Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

Estela C Barbosa, Vikki Wylde, Joanna Thorn, Emily Sanderson, Erik Lenguerrand, Neil Artz, Ashley W Blom, Elsa M R Marques*, al et

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

Objective
To assess the cost-utility and cost-effectiveness of a group-based outpatient physical therapy intervention delivered 6 weeks after primary total knee replacement (TKR) compared with usual care, alongside the Activity-Orientated Rehabilitation Following Knee Arthroplasty (ARENA) multicenter, randomized, controlled trial.

Methods
The economic analyses were performed from the perspective of the health and social care payer. We collected resource use for health and social care and productivity losses and patient outcomes for 12 months after surgery to derive costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Results were expressed in incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), and incremental net monetary benefit statistics (INMBs) for a society willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of £20,000 per QALY gained, with sensitivity analyses to model specification and perspective.

Results
The cost of the ARENA physical therapy classes was mean ± SD £179 ± 39 per patient. Treatment in the year following surgery cost was, on average, £1,739 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] –£742, £4,221) per patient in the intervention group (n = 89), which was an additional £346 (95% CI £38, £653) per patient compared with usual care (n = 91) (£1,393 [95% CI –£780, £3,568]). QALY benefits were 0.0506 higher (95% CI 0.009, 0.09) in the intervention group, corresponding to an additional 19 days in “perfect health.” The ICER for the intervention group was £6,842 per QALY gained, and the INMB was £665 (95% CI £139, £1,191), with a 92% probability of being cost-effective, and no less than 73% in all sensitivity analysis scenarios.

Conclusion
The addition of group-based outpatient physical therapy classes to usual care improves quality of life and is a cost-effective treatment option following TKR for a society WTP threshold of £20,000 per QALY gained.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1970-1977
Number of pages8
JournalArthritis Care and Research
Volume74
Issue number12
Early online date25 Apr 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 19 Dec 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Supported by the NIHR Research for Patient Benefit programme (grant PB‐PG‐1013‐32010), the Biomedical Research Centre at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Bristol, and the Clinical Research Network.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors. Arthritis Care & Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Rheumatology.

Research Groups and Themes

  • HEHP@Bristol

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