WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Echosens, a high-technology company offering the FibroScan family of products, today announces the release of its white paper, “FibroScan Technology Assesses and Monitors Liver Health, Demonstrates Positive Return on Investment,” authored by Mazen Noureddin, M.D., director, Fatty Liver Program, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. This informative paper highlights the findings of an independent assessment conducted by Santa Barbara Actuaries Inc. (SBA) to evaluate from the payer’s perspective the cost effectiveness of deploying vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE)/controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) technology for detecting and monitoring FLD. Published in the American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC), the study results concluded that early identification of patients with FLD through broad placement of VCTE/CAP devices offers cost savings to payers. One outcome scenario produced an estimated five-year cumulative gross savings of $10.1 million and a net savings of $8.8 million, which corresponds to a five-year 6.5:1 ROI and a net savings of $1.46 per member per month.
“Accelerated rates of adult obesity and Type 2 diabetes—along with an aging population—non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and mortality are expected to increase in the United States and globally, prompting demand for earlier screening and strategies for curbing the financial burden for payers, providers and patients,” says Noureddin. “With the large population at risk for these adverse outcomes due to FLD, payers should turn to cost effective and easily implemented liver assessment strategies that are available at the point of care. Using patented VCTE and CAP, FibroScan is the first totally non-invasive device indicated for use as an aid in the clinical management of patients with liver disease.”
The study’s model was built to project medical cost savings driven by the device, relative to the net cost of the device. Two sources of value generation were considered:
- VCTE/CAP tests resulted in earlier identification of patients with FLD allowing for proactive intervention to slow down disease progression in these patients
- Use of the VCTE/CAP test reduced the volume of current diagnosis methods, such as liver biopsy, imaging and lab work
The aggregate effect of VCTE/CAP on utilization and cost was estimated by comparing the current state diagnosis and treatment pathways with future state pathways after the introduction of the device.
Jon Gingrich, CEO, Echosens North America, states, “For health plans, this technology represents a way forward in terms of identifying disease early—when interventions can be most effective—and proactively managing or avoiding health deterioration and associated preventable future costs.”
About Echosens
Echosens, the developer of FibroScan®, is an innovative high-technology company offering a full range of products and services supporting physicians in their assessment and management of patients with chronic liver diseases. FibroScan is supported by over 3,000 peer-reviewed publications and examinations are covered by Medicare, Medicaid and many insurance plans. For more information, please visit https://www.echosens.com/.
