Ulehake Marike J, Brunenberg Ellen J L, Verheij Marcel, Grutters Janneke P C
Science Department IQ Health, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands (the).
Department of Radiation Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands (the).
Tech Innov Patient Support Radiat Oncol. 2025 May 14;34:100314. doi: 10.1016/j.tipsro.2025.100314. eCollection 2025 Jun.
There is an increasing need for understanding the added value of radiotherapeutic innovations before their widespread adoption. For multi-purpose innovations such as the Magnetic Resonance Linear Accelerator (MR-Linac), determining their value within a specific clinical context does not conclusively answer the broader question whether the innovation justifies the required investment. Exploratory analyses can be informative during early development and use of the innovation. We aim to develop and demonstrate an online, flexible tool to facilitate early economic evaluation of the MR-Linac.
We developed a tool that enables users to compare the total costs and incremental effects needed of MRI-guided radiotherapy (MRIgRT) with conventional treatment by inputting data specific to their context. Costs included in the tool are both medical technology and personnel-related expenses. The effects, required to justify potential additional costs, are expressed in Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs). By default, input values are used tailored to the Dutch clinical context.
When users input data specific to their context or situation, the tool generates figures that display the (additional) costs and effects of MRIgRT compared to conventional treatment. These figures enable users to explore the impact of key variables on the (additional) costs and QALYs required to justify any potential extra costs associated with MRIgRT.
The tool and accompanying example allow for exploratory early HTA analyses, which can offer insights into the cost-effectiveness of MRIgRT. These insights can be valuable for guiding decisions regarding the purchase and utilization of innovative radiotherapeutic technologies.
在放射治疗创新广泛应用之前，对其附加价值的理解需求日益增加。对于诸如磁共振直线加速器（MR-Linac）这样的多用途创新，在特定临床背景下确定其价值并不能最终回答该创新是否值得所需投资这一更广泛的问题。探索性分析在创新的早期开发和使用过程中可能具有参考价值。我们旨在开发并展示一种在线灵活工具，以促进对MR-Linac的早期经济评估。
我们开发了一种工具，通过输入特定于其背景的数据，使用户能够比较MRI引导放射治疗（MRIgRT）与传统治疗所需的总成本和增量效果。该工具中包含的成本既有医疗技术方面的，也有人员相关的费用。用以证明潜在额外成本合理性的效果以质量调整生命年（QALYs）表示。默认情况下，输入值采用针对荷兰临床背景定制的数值。
当用户输入特定于其背景或情况的数据时，该工具会生成图表，展示与传统治疗相比MRIgRT的（额外）成本和效果。这些图表使用户能够探索关键变量对与MRIgRT相关的任何潜在额外成本所需的（额外）成本和QALYs的影响。
该工具及附带示例允许进行探索性早期卫生技术评估分析，这可为了解MRIgRT的成本效益提供见解。这些见解对于指导有关购买和使用创新放射治疗技术的决策可能具有重要价值。
