An Open-Source Value Model for MDD

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, over 19 million Americans had at least one major depressive disorder (MDD) episode in the past year. The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the unmet need for depression treatment access. Conventional cost-effectiveness models for assessing the value of MDD treatments typically do not prioritize factors and outcomes important to patients; in their primary analyses, the societal perspectives relevant to this prevalent condition are not included. Current approaches may also not fully address the decision-making needs of payers, employers, and clinicians.

IVI has launched a multi-year initiative to build and test an open-source value assessment prototype model to facilitate the evaluation of health interventions indicated for MDD.

Model Scope Public Comment Period

The model scope outlines IVI’s preliminary assumptions for the MDD model design. The purpose of the public comment period is to obtain feedback in three main areas:

  • Assumptions and data elements missing from the initial model design
  • Factors most important to include in the model
  • Specific use cases to be built into the first edition of the model
View Model Scope

Public comments were provided in one of two ways:

  1. Compiled comments on organizational letterhead and submitted as a PDF to public.comment@thevalueinitiative.org; or
  2. Completing an online survey.

To learn more about the model scope, access the recording of the  informational webinar or view the presentation slides.

Timeline

Model Scope

Public Comment Period:
April 12 – May 14, 2021

The model scope document describes the model objectives, key assumptions, and early specifications. This document will also describe the specific considerations that will be evaluated and confirmed during the protocol development stage.

Model Protocol

Mid-2021

The model protocol is a technical document that outlines all necessary details for model structure and analyses, including the analytic approaches, assumptions, data inputs, and model output.

Model Public Release

Early 2022

The MDD value assessment model will allow users to use the model’s pre-specified inputs or their own data sources to compare treatments for major depressive disorder. All model code is open-source, and we invite users to provide feedback and recommendations for improvement.

Use Case Development and Model Updates

Ongoing

IVI and interested stakeholders will use the MDD model to conduct additional research projects. IVI will update the model as new data sources become available.

Continuous Multi-Stakeholder Engagement

Work on this first-of-its-kind MDD model will test a novel approach in building value assessment tools, whereby a multi-stakeholder Advisory Group (AG) is engaged, from the outset and throughout the conceptualization and development process. The Advisory Group is comprised of diverse stakeholders, including patients, employers, payers, clinicians, researchers, and model developers. Their insights will help inform the model’s scope, development, validation, and application. Such an endeavor will also allow IVI to test how such an engagement approach can improve the credibility and relevance of the models.

MDD Advisory Group