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The identification and treatment of women with hyperglycaemia in pregnancy: an analysis of individual participant data, systematic reviews, meta-analyses and an economic evaluation

Farrar D, Simmonds M, Griffin S, Duarte A, Lawlor DA, Sculpher M, Fairley L, Golder S et al.

Health technology assessment (Winchester, England), 2016

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with a higher risk of important adverse outcomes. Practice varies and the best strategy for identifying and treating GDM is unclear.

AIM: To estimate the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of strategies for identifying and treating women with GDM.

METHODS: We analysed individual participant data (IPD) from birth cohorts and conducted systematic reviews to estimate the association of maternal glucose levels with adverse perinatal outcomes; GDM prevalence; maternal characteristics/risk factors for GDM; and the effectiveness and costs of treatments. The cost-effectiveness of various strategies was estimated using a decision tree model, along with a value of information analysis to assess where future research might be worthwhile. Detailed systematic searches of MEDLINE® and MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations®, EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature Plus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, Health Technology Assessment database, NHS Economic Evaluation Database, Maternity and Infant Care database and the Cochrane Methodology Register were undertaken from inception up to October 2014.

RESULTS: We identified 58 studies examining maternal glucose levels and outcome associations. Analyses using IPD alone and the systematic review demonstrated continuous linear associations of…

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