The death of Bernie O’Brien in February 2004 brought a premature end to one of the most productive and influential careers in the area of health technology assessment and economic evaluation. A long-term member of the Society for Medical Decision Making, Bernie will be remembered for his research contributions in areas including outcome valuation, decision modeling, statistical methods in economic evaluation, and applied cost-effectiveness studies. He was also an excellent communicator and teacher and, above all, a fun guy to work with. In this article, the authors provide a review of Bernie’s academic contributions.
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References
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1. BuxtonMJ, Acheson R, Caine N, Gibson S, O’Brien BJ. Costs and Benefits of the Heart Transplant Programmes at Harefield and PapworthHospitals. London: HerMajesty’s StationeryOffice; 1985.
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2. O’Brien BJ, Buxton MJ, Ferguson BA. Measuring the effectiveness of heart transplant programmes: quality of life data and their relationship to survival analysis. J Chronic Dis. 1987;40(Suppl 1):137S–158S.
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3. O’Brien BJ. Words or numbers? The evaluation of probability expressions in general practice. J R Coll Gen Pract. 1989;39(320):98–100.
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4. O’Brien BJ. AIDS and subjective risk assessment: a critical review. Health Policy. 1989;13:213–234.
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5. O’Brien BJ, Elswood J, Calin A.Willingness to accept risk in the treatment of rheumatic disease. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1990;44(3):249–252.
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6. O’Brien BJ, Elswood J, Calin A.Perception of prescription drug risks: a survey of patients with ankylosing spondylitis. J Rheumatol. 1990;17(4):503–507.
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7. O’Brien BJ. Patterns of European Diagnoses and Prescribing. London: London Office of Health Economics; 1984.
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8. O’Brien BJ. Multiple Sclerosis. London: Office of Health Economics; 1987.
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9. O’Brien BJ. Cholesterol and Coronary Heart Disease: Consensus or Controversy?London: Office of Health Economics; 1991.
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10. O’Brien BJ. What AreMy Chances, Doctor?A Review of Clinical Risks. London: Office of Health Economics; 1989.
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11. DrummondMF, O’Brien BJ, Stoddart GL, Torrance GW. Methods for the Economic Evaluation of Health Care Programmes. 2nd ed.London: Oxford University Press; 1997.
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12. O’Brien B.Indicative drug budgets for general practitioners: aprescription for change. BMJ. 1989;298(6678):944–946.
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13. O’Brien B.The effect of patient charges on the utilisation of prescription medicines. J Health Econ. 1989;8(1):109–132.
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14. Chiba N, Bernard L, O’Brien BJ, Goeree R, Hunt RH. A Canadian physician survey of dyspepsia management. Can J Gastroenterol. 1998;12(1):83–90.
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15. Connolly SJ, Cybulsky I, Lamy A, et al. Double-blind, placebocontrolled, randomized trial of prophylactic metoprolol for reduction of hospital length of stay after heart surgery: the beta-Blocker Length Of Stay (BLOS) study. Am Heart J. 2003;145(2):226–232.
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17. Kouroukis CT, O’Brien BJ, Benger A, et al. Cost-effectiveness of a transplantation strategy compared to melphalan and prednisone in younger patients with multiple myeloma. Leuk Lymphoma. 2003;44(1):29–37.
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18. O’Brien BJ, Willan A, Blackhouse G, Goeree R, Cohen M, Goodman S.Will the use of low-molecular-weight heparin (enoxaparin) in patients with acute coronary syndrome save costs in Canada? Am Heart J. 2000;139(3):423–429.
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19. Anderson DR, O’Brien BJ. Cost effectiveness of the prevention and treatment of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Pharmacoeconomics. 1997;12(1):17–29.
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20. O’Brien BJ, Goeree R, Blackhouse G, Smieja M, Loeb M.Oseltamivir for treatment of influenza in healthy adults: pooled trial evidence and cost-effectiveness model for Canada. Value Health. 2003;6(2):116–125.
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21. O’Brien BJ, Goeree R, Hux M, et al. Economic evaluation of donepezil for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease in Canada. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1999;47(5):570–578.
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22. Goeree R, O’Brien BJ, Blackhouse G, Marshall J, Briggs A, Lad R.Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of long-term management strategies for heartburn. Value Health. 2002;5(4):312–328.
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23. O’Brien B.Economic evaluation of pharmaceuticals: Frankenstein’s monster or vampire of trials?Med Care. 1996;34(12 Suppl):DS99–DS108.
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24. O’Brien B.Principles of economic evaluation for health care programs. J Rheumatol. 1995;22(7):1399–1402.
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25. Decision analytic modelling in the economic evaluation of health technologies: a consensus statement. Consensus Conference on Guidelines on EconomicModelling inHealth Technology Assessment. Pharmacoeconomics. 2000;17(5):443–444.
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26. Tosteson AN, Jonsson B, Grima DT, O’Brien BJ, Black DM, Adachi JD. Challenges for model-based economic evaluations of postmenopausal osteoporosis interventions. Osteoporos Int. 2001;12(10):849–857.
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27. Coyle D, Lee KM, O’Brien BJ. The role of models within economic analysis: focus on type 2 diabetes mellitus. Pharmacoeconomics. 2002;20(Suppl) 1:11–19.
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28. Weinstein MC, O’Brien B, Hornberger J, et al. Principles of good practice for decision analytic modeling in health-care evaluation: report of the ISPOR Task Force on Good Research Practices—modeling studies. Value Health. 2003;6(1):9–17.
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29. Coyle D, BuxtonMJ, O’Brien BJ. Measures of importance for economic analysis based on decision modeling. J Clin Epidemiol. 2003;56(10):989–997.
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30. Goeree R, O’Brien BJ. Cost-effectiveness modeling in rheumatology: toward principles of good practice. J Rheumatol Suppl. 2003;68:21–22.
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31. Goeree R, O’Brien BJ, Blackhouse G.Principles of good modelling practice in healthcare cost-effectiveness studies. Expert Rev Pharmacoeconomics Outcomes Res. 2004;4(2):189–198.
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32. Rittenhouse BE, O’Brien BJ. Threats to the validity of pharmacoeconomic analysis based on clinical trial data. In: Spilker B, ed. Quality of Life and Pharmacoeconomics in Clinical Trials. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven; 1995.
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33. O’Brien BJ. Atale of two (ormore) cities: geographic transferability of pharmacoeconomic data. AmJManag Care. 1997;3Suppl:S33–S39.
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34. Drummond M, O’Brien B.Economic analysis alongside clinical trials: practical considerations. The Economics Workgroup. J Rheumatol. 1995;22(7):1418–1419.
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35. O’Brien BJ, Sculpher MJ. Building uncertainty into cost effectiveness rankings: portfolio risk-return tradeoffs and implications for decision rules. Med Care. 2000;38(5):460–468.
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36. SculpherM, DrummondM, O’Brien B.Effectiveness, efficiency, and NICE. BMJ. 2001;322(7292):943–944.
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37. Hill S, Garattini S, O’Brien BJ, de Joncheere K.Technology Appraisal Programme of theNational Institute for Clinical Excellence. A Review by WHO. Copenhagen: World Health Organization; 2003.
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38. Goeree R, O’Brien B, Adachi J, Cuddy L, Pettitt D.An assessment of the burden of illness due to osteoporosis in Canada. Journal of the Society ofObstetrics and Gynecology ofCanada. 1996;Suppl:15–24.
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39. Goeree R, O’Brien BJ, BlackhouseG, AgroK, Goering P.The valuation of productivity costs due to prematuremortality: a comparison of the human-capital and friction-cost methods for schizophrenia. Can J Psychiatry. 1999;44(5):455–463.
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40. O’Brien BJ, Banner NR, Gibson S, Yacoub MH. The Nottingham Health Profile as ameasure of quality of life following combined heart and lung transplantation. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1988;42(3):232–234.
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41. O’BrienBJ, BuxtonMJ, Patterson DL. Relationship between functional status and health-related quality-of-life aftermyocardial infarction. Med Care. 1993;31(10):950–955.
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42. Viramontes JL, O’Brien B.Relationship between symptoms and health-related quality of life in chronic lung disease. J Gen Intern Med. 1994;9(1):46–48.
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43. Irvine J, Dorian P, Baker B, et al. Quality of life in the Canadian ImplantableDefibrillator Study (CIDS). AmHeart J. 2002;144(2):282–289.
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44. O’Brien B, Gafni A.When do the “dollars” make sense? Toward a conceptual framework for contingent valuation studies in health care. Med Decis Making. 1996;16(3):288–299.
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45. Currie GR, Donaldson C, O’Brien BJ, Stoddart GL, Torrance GW, Drummond MF. Willingness to pay for what? A note on alternative definitions of health care program benefits for contingent valuation studies. Med Decis Making. 2002;22(6):493–497.
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46. Zarnke KB, Levine MA, O’Brien BJ. Cost-benefit analyses in the health-care literature: don’t judge a study by its label. J Clin Epidemiol. 1997;50(7):813–822.
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47. Diener A, O’Brien B, Gafni A.Health care contingent valuation studies: a review and classification of the literature. Health Econ. 1998;7(4):313–326.
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48. O’Brien B, Viramontes JL. Willingness to pay: a valid and reliable measure of health state preference?Med Decis Making. 1994;14(3):289–297.
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49. O’Brien BJ, Goeree R, Gafni A, et al. Assessing the value of a new pharmaceutical: A feasibility study of contingent valuation in managed care. Med Care. 1998;36(3):370–384.
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50. Krupnick A, Albini A, CropperM, et al. Age, health and thewillingness to pay for mortality risk reductions: a contingent valuation survey of Ontario residents. J Risk Uncertain2001;24:161–186.
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51. O’Brien BJ, Gertsen K, WillanAR, Faulkner LA. Is there a kink in consumers’ threshold value for cost-effectiveness in health care?Health Econ. 2002;11(2):175–180.
53. O’Brien BJ, Spath M, Blackhouse G, Severens JL, Dorian P, Brazier J.Aview fromthe bridge: agreement between the SF-6Dutility algorithm and the Health Utilities Index. Health Econ. 2003;12(11):975–981.
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54. Sculpher MJ, O’Brien BJ. Income effects of reduced health and health effects of reduced income: implications for health-state valuation. Med Decis Making. 1998;20(2):207–215.
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55. MacKeigan LD, O’Brien BJ, Oh PI.Holistic versus composite preferences for lifetime treatment sequences for type 2 diabetes. Med Decis Making. 1999;19(2):113–121.
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56. MacKeigan LD, Gafni A, O’Brien BJ. Double discounting of QALYs. Health Econ. 2003;12(2):165–169.
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57. Bala MV, Wood LL, Zarkin GA, Norton EC, Gafni A, O’Brien BJ. Are health states “timeless”? The case of the standard gamble method. J Clin Epidemiol. 1999;52(11):1047–1053.
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58. O’Brien BJ, Drummond MF, Labelle RJ, Willan A.In search of power and significance: issues in the design and analysis of stochastic cost-effectiveness studies in health care. Med Care. 1994;32(2):150–163.
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59. Willan AR, O’Brien BJ. Confidence intervals for cost effectiveness ratios: an application of Fieller’s theorem. Health Econ. 1996;5(4):297–305.
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60. Willan AR, O’Brien BJ. Sample size and power issues in estimating incremental cost-effectiveness ratios from clinical trials data. Health Econ. 1999;8(3):203–211.
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61. Briggs AH, O’Brien BJ. The death of cost-minimization analysis?Health Econ. 2001;10(2):179–184.
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62. Willan AR, O’Brien BJ. Cost prediction models for the comparison of two groups. Health Econ. 2001;10(4):363–366.
63.
63. Fenwick E, O’Brien BJ, Briggs A.Cost-effectiveness acceptability curves: facts, fallacies and frequently asked questions. Health Econ. 2004;13(5):405–415.
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64. BlackhouseG, Briggs AH, O’Brien BJ. Anote on the estimation of confidence intervals for cost-effectiveness when costs and effects are censored. Med Decis Making. 2002;22(2):173–177.
66. Briggs AH, O’Brien BJ, Blackhouse G.Thinking outside the box: recent advances in the analysis and presentation of uncertainty in cost-effectiveness studies. Annu Rev Public Health. 2002;23:377–401.
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67. O’Brien BJ, Briggs AH. Analysis of uncertainty in health care cost-effectiveness studies: an introduction to statistical issues and methods. Stat Methods Med Res. 2002;11(6):455–468.
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68. Grootendorst PV, Dolovich LR, O’Brien BJ, Holbrook AM, Levy AR. Impact of reference-based pricing of nitrates on the use and costs of anti-anginal drugs. Can Med Assoc J. 2001;165(8):1011–1019.
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69. Holbrook A, O’Brien B, Grootendorst P.Reference-based pricing (RBP) of prescription drugs. Can J Cardiol. 1997;13(7):689–690.
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70. Harris A, Buxton M, O’Brien B, Rutten F, Drummond M.Using economic evidence in reimbursement decisions for health technologies: experience of 4 countries. Expert Rev Pharmacoeconomics Res. 2001;1(1):7–12.
