Connecting clinical research and economic evaluation by mapping lung function to EQ-5D-5L in patients with interstitial lung disease

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a group of diseases that cause inflammation and scarring of the lungs. It is important to identify ways to improve quality of life (QoL) for patients living with this chronic condition. This research will explore how QoL changes over time in ILD and identify factors that can potentially be modified to improve QoL.

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and azathioprine (AZA) are two common medications used to treat certain ILDs and improve QoL. Despite MMF being better tolerated, only AZA is initially covered by PharmaCare in BC. This research will determine whether MMF is more cost-effective than AZA and could inform drug reimbursement policies.

Economic evaluations are used by funding agencies in Canada to determine whether a drug should be funded or not. However, economic evaluations for ILD drugs are limited because clinical trials do not provide the required information. This research will create an algorithm that allows economic evaluations to be completed even when these required data are not available. These economic evaluations can then be used to guide decisions on funding effective treatments in ILD.