OBJECTIVE: There is evidence on the efficiency of new direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC), mostly based on experimental efficacy data, but there is also a need to assess their cost-effectiveness in routine clinical practice using patient-level data. We designed a retrospective cohort study to assess the cost-effectiveness of DOAC compared to acenocoumarol in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) with a follow-up of up to 7 years.

METHOD: Basque Health Service-registered patients who started oral anticoagulant treatment between 2013 and 2016 were included in the study and followed up until the end of 2019. Data were extracted from an electronic medical record management system. Effectiveness was expressed in terms of life years gained and adjusted for health-related quality of life (i.e., quality-adjusted life years [QALY]). Propensity score techniques were used to adjust the estimates for differences between groups in baseline characteristics.

RESULTS: A total of 10,843 new users of oral anticoagulants with a mean follow-up of 4.1 years were included. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of DOAC compared to acenocoumarol ranged from €1,732 to €2,556/QALY, while the incremental net benefit for different willingness-to-pay thresholds was only negative for values below €3,000/QALY.

CONCLUSIONS: Based on the analysis of data from clinical practice and the similarity of results using several different techniques to adjust for bias associated with observational studies, we conclude that DOAC would be an efficient alternative for the treatment of patients with NVAF.