If a programme targeted at high risk groups had been initiated in 2009-10, then vaccinating immune compromised people and people with chronic respiratory disease and HIV infection could also be deemed cost effective (incremental cost effectiveness ratio of ≤£30 000 per QALY).
Screening men aged 65 for abdominal aortic aneurysm was not cost effective; the incremental cost effectiveness ratio was £43 485 per QALY (range £32 640-£66 001 per QALY).
Although hysterectomy is more expensive, it produces more QALYs relative to other remaining strategies and is likely to be considered cost effective: the incremental cost effectiveness ratio for hysterectomy compared with Mirena is £1440 per additional QALY.
The PBAC's expert reviewers evaluate whether any of the assumptions in the submission are unjustifiable and create simulations to assess the incremental cost-effective ratio (the additional cost for an additional beneficial effect, or Quality of Life Years ('QALY') gained)[ 22].
The results from other indications suggest that incremental cost-effective ratios (ICERs) do not differ significantly between Markov and DES models, but DES is able to report more outcome parameters.
The results indicate that the combination SAXA + MET produced a greater number of LYG and QALYs than that of SU + MET, with an incremental cost-effective ratio (ICER) equal to $7,3744.
ICER, incremental cost-effective ratio; QALY, quality-adjusted life year; nsNSAID, nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
The results are reported as the incremental cost-effective ratio (ICER) over the 10-year period calculated using the model.
An incremental cost-effective ratio will compare the differences in costs with differences in gains in QALYs between the two interventions.
Strategy D (test immigrants from prevalent countries) has a better (lower) incremental cost-effective ratio than C and detects twice as many cases as E.
If, on the other hand, one of the options evaluated was more efficacious but more costly than the alternative, the incremental cost-effective ratio is calculated relative to the less costly alternative.
