Cost-Effectiveness of Routine Third Trimester Ultrasound Screening for Fetal Growth Restriction Compared to Care as Usual in Low-Risk Pregnancies: A Pragmatic Nationwide Stepped-Wedge Cluster-Randomized Trial in The Netherlands (the IRIS Study)

Jens Henrichs, Ank de Jonge, Myrte Westerneng, Viki Verfaille, Arie Franx, Henriëtte E. van der Horst, Judith E. Bosmans and on behalf of the IRIS Study Group
Additional contact information
Jens Henrichs: Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Midwifery Science, AVAG and Amsterdam Public Health, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Ank de Jonge: Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Midwifery Science, AVAG and Amsterdam Reproduction and Development, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Myrte Westerneng: Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Midwifery Science, AVAG and Amsterdam Public Health, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Viki Verfaille: Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Midwifery Science, AVAG and Amsterdam Public Health, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Arie Franx: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasmus Medical University Center, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Henriëtte E. van der Horst: Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of General Practice, Amsterdam Public Health, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Judith E. Bosmans: Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
on behalf of the IRIS Study Group: The IRIS Study Group is provided in Appendix A.

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 6, 1-16

Abstract: Routine third trimester ultrasonography is increasingly used to screen for fetal growth restriction. However, evidence regarding its cost-effectiveness is lacking. We aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of routine third trimester ultrasonography to reduce adverse perinatal outcomes compared to usual care (selective ultrasonography). An economic evaluation alongside a stepped-wedge cluster-randomized trial was conducted. Via 60 midwifery practices 12,974 Dutch women aged ≥16 years with low-risk pregnancies were enrolled at 22.8 (SD = 2.4) weeks’ gestation. All practices provided usual care. At 3, 7, and 10 months a third of the practices were randomized to the intervention strategy providing routine ultrasonography at 28–30 and 34–36 weeks’ gestation and usual care. The primary clinical outcome was a dichotomous composite measure of 12 severe adverse perinatal outcomes (SAPO) up to one week postpartum. Information on perinatal care and societal costs was derived from Netherlands Perinatal Registry, hospital records and a survey. Cost-effectiveness analyses revealed no significant differences in SAPO and healthcare and societal costs between the intervention strategy ( n = 7026) and usual care ( n = 5948). Cost-effectiveness acceptability curves showed that the probability of cost-effectiveness was never higher than 0.6 for all possible ceiling ratios. Adding routine third trimester ultrasonography to usual care is not cost-effective in reducing SAPO.

Keywords: routine third trimester ultrasonography; severe adverse perinatal outcome; cluster-randomized trial; economic evaluation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:6:p:3312-:d:769036

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