Health economic evaluation of a randomized controlled trial (EMBLA study), an internet-based treatment for provoked vulvodynia

• Published in: Scientific reports 2023-04, Vol.13 (1), p.6242-6242, Article 6242
• Main Authors: Hess Engström, A., Bohm-Starke, N., Buhrman, M., Högberg, U., Skalkidou, A., Lagenskiöld, S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 692/308; 692/700; Cost analysis; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Economics; Female; Health care; Health Care Research; Health economic evaluation; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Hälso- och sjukvårdsforskning; Internet; internet-based treatment; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; multidisciplinary; Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Obstetrik och gynekologi; Pain; provoked vulvodynia; Quality of Life; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Vulvodynia - therapy
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33406-6

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.