Measuring the cost-effectiveness of treatments for people with multiple sclerosis: Beyond quality-adjusted life-years

Authors: Hawton, A., Goodwin, E., Boddy, K., Freeman, J., Thomas, S., Chataway, J. and Green, C.

Journal: Multiple Sclerosis Journal

Volume: 28

Issue: 3

Pages: 346-351

eISSN: 1477-0970

ISSN: 1352-4585

DOI: 10.1177/1352458520954172

Abstract:

Background: It is a familiar story. A promising multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment clears the three regulatory hurdles of safety, quality and efficacy, only to fall at the fourth: cost-effectiveness. This has led to concerns about the validity of the measures typically used to quantify treatment effects in cost-effectiveness analyses and in 2012, in the United Kingdom, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence called for an improvement in the cost-effectiveness framework for assessing MS treatments. Objective and Methods: This review describes what is meant by cost-effectiveness in health/social care funding decision-making, and usual practice for assessing treatment benefits. Results: We detail the use of the quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) in resource allocation decisions, and set out limitations of this approach in the context of MS. Conclusion: We conclude by highlighting methodological and policy developments which should aid addressing these limitations.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/34551/

Source: Scopus