OBJECTIVES: Hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), burdens healthcare systems around the world. However, this burden can potentially be reduced if not prevented by use of thromboprophylaxis. In this analysis, ten countries were investigated regarding the cost of thromboprophylaxis compared to the cost of treatment for VTE.

METHODS: The ten countries included in this analysis were Australia, Brazil, China, France, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, and the UK. A burden of disease model for VTE was developed according to the GATHER guideline. Different scenarios for the utilization of prophylaxis were modelled with a decision tree. A Markov model was used to model the development of DVT and PE in five clinical areas. The main outcome was the total cost of VTE per patient with the current country-specific thromboprophylaxis practice compared to the total cost burden of VTE per patient without thromboprophylaxis.

RESULTS: The average cost of VTE per patient without thromboprophylaxis ranged from $21 in Thailand to $4,847 in Australia. In most countries and clinical areas, per patient cost for VTE were lower when thromboprophylaxis was used. On average, the use of thromboprophylaxis resulted in a cost reduction of 30% across the ten countries. The highest cost reduction with prophylaxis (48%) was found in Australia, with the lowest reduction (10%) in Taiwan. The largest savings with thromboprophylaxis were seen in the clinical areas of long-term ICU and cardiology. Four of the ten countries showed savings in all clinical areas. Out of the 50 country/clinical-area combinations, 84% had a saving with use of thromboprophylaxis.

CONCLUSIONS: Additional use of thromboprophylaxis is expected to bring patient and cost benefits in the majority of cases.