Cost‐Effectiveness of Increased Use of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After High‐Risk Transient Ischemic Attack or Minor Stroke

Abstract

Background Rates of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after high‐risk transient ischemic attack or minor ischemic stroke (TIAMIS) are suboptimal. We performed a cost‐effectiveness analysis to characterize the parameters of a quality improvement (QI) intervention designed to increase DAPT use after TIAMIS. Methods and Results We constructed a decision tree model that compared current national rates of DAPT use after TIAMIS with rates after implementing a theoretical QI intervention designed to increase appropriate DAPT use. The base case assumed that a QI intervention increased the rate of DAPT use to 65% from 45%. Costs (payer and societal) and outcomes (stroke, myocardial infarction, major bleed, or death) were modeled using a lifetime horizon. An incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio <$100 000 per quality‐adjusted life year was considered cost‐effective. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. From the payer perspective, a QI intervention was associated with $9657 in lifetime cost savings and 0.18 more quality‐adjusted life years compared with current national treatment rates. A QI intervention was cost‐effective in 73% of probabilistic sensitivity analysis iterations. Results were similar from the societal perspective. The maximum acceptable, initial, 1‐time payer cost of a QI intervention was $28 032 per patient. A QI intervention that increased DAPT use to at least 51% was cost‐effective in the base case. Conclusions Increasing DAPT use after TIAMIS with a QI intervention is cost‐effective over a wide range of costs and proportion of patients with TIAMIS treated with DAPT after implementation of a QI intervention. Our results support the development of future interventions focused on increasing DAPT use after TIAMIS.