Capsule endoscopy in suspected small bowel Crohn's disease: Economic impact of disease diagnosis and treatment

AIM: To model clinical and economic benefits of capsule endoscopy (CE) compared to ileo-colonoscopy and small bowel follow-through (SBFT) for evaluation of suspected Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS: Using decision analytic modeling, total and yearly costs of diagnostic work-up for suspected CD were calculated, including procedure-related adverse events, hospitalizations, office visits, and medications. The model compared CE to SBFT following ileo-colonoscopy and secondarily compared CE to SBFT for initial evaluation. RESULTS: Aggregate charges for newly diagnosed, medically managed patients are approximately $8295. Patients requiring aggressive medical management costs are $29508; requiring hospitalization, $49074. At sensitivity > 98.7% and specificity of > 86.4%, CE is less costly than SBFT. CONCLUSION: Costs of CE for diagnostic evaluation of suspected CD is comparable to SBFT and may be used immediately following ileo-colonoscopy. (C) 2009 The WIG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.