Table 1. Explanation of prioritisation criteria and levels in the DCE.
Criteria | Explanation | Level | Level definition |
---|---|---|---|
Prevalence of the condition within the target group | The phenotypical prevalence (genotype prevalence a penetrance) may differ between different conditions and within different target groups. Society may favour genetic tests for common conditions as they are more likely to detect an affected person. | Less than 0.05% | In line with the definition of the European Commission of Public Healtha, we define a rare condition as affecting less than 0.05% of a target group. |
Higher than/equal to 0.05% but less than 25% | We define a medium frequent condition as affecting less than 25% but more than or equal to 0.05% of a target group. | ||
Higher than/equal to 25% | Other | ||
Severity of condition | The severity of the conditions tested for may be unequal. There might be justification in giving priority to severely ill patients as they are in greater need of health care. | Highly severeModerately severe | As Huntington disease is a frequently cited very severe genetic condition, we define ‘highly severe' as a patient suffering from Huntington disease or a condition of comparable severity.Other |
Urgency of care | In the considered setting, the tests' aim may be to define a diagnosis or to predict the future risk of developing a disease. There might be a preference for conducting diagnostic testing as people with established symptoms face greater urgency for health resources. | DiagnosticPredictive | ‘Diagnostic' testing is defined as any genetic test that aims to establish a diagnosis in a symptomatic person.Other |
Clinical utility | Although some tests may have clinical utility, which could lead to a reduction in mortality/mobility (eg due to the availability of treatment or preventive options), other tests may be mainly for personal knowledge. Society may wish tests leading to mortality/morbidity reduction to have higher priority than those carried out just for personal knowledge. | Mortality/morbidity reductionPersonal knowledge | ‘Mortality/morbidity reduction' is the case if the patient gains health benefit through available treatment or preventive options.Other |
Alternatives available | There might be alternative means of diagnosing or predicting genetic conditions (eg clinical, biochemical). Society may have a preference for those tests where no alternative exists for diagnosis/prediction. | Not availableAvailable | Alternatives are ‘not available' if there are no alternative options for establishing a diagnosis/predicting the risk of contracting a disease.Other |
Infrastructure for deliverability of testing and subsequent care | There might be a difference between competing tests in terms of availability of the infrastructure for the delivery of the test and routes for follow-up medical care (eg psychological care, medical treatment, inpatient health care). Society may have a preference for conducting those tests primarily where the infrastructure is fully established | EstablishedNot established | We define the infrastructure to be fully ‘established' if the test is routinely offered within genetic clinics.Other |
http://ec.europa.eu/health/rare_diseases/policy/index_en.htm (downloaded 18 April 2011).