NET ECONOMIC BENEFIT OF A MANUFACTURED DINOPROSTONE GEL FOR PREINDUCTION CERVICAL RIPENING

The purpose of this study was to estimate the net economic cost or ben efit of pretreating women who have a medical indication for induction of labour, and an unprepared (unripe) cervix, with a manufactured dino prostone (prostaglandin E(2)) gel. Findings of a meta-analysis of the results of 3 large, randomised clinical trials were employed in the co nstruction of a decision tree used in the economic analysis. For the i ntended target population, the primary clinical and economic outcomes of gel pretreatment were shortening of the treatment-to-delivery inter val, an increase in the percentage of patients achieving labour and a decrease in the percentage of patients requiring delivery by caesarean section. Application of cost factors associated with these and other variables led to a finding of net savings associated with use of the d inoprostone gel pretreatment, compared with no gel pretreatment, of $U S159 to $US214 (1993 prices) per treated patient, corresponding to the maximum and minimum duration of the pre-induction treatment period, r espectively.