Heart
Heart
5 years ago

The results of a pharmacoeconomic study: incremental cost-effectiveness ratio versus net monetary benefit

To the Editor

The article by Wouters and colleagues1 presents an exhaustive overview on how quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) can be used in cost-effectiveness analysis. In this framework, the authors also mention the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), which is the parameter typically used to express the results of a cost-effectiveness study. The article, however, does not discuss the net monetary benefit (NMB), which is another parameter used to express the results of a cost-effectiveness study.

The incremental cost (C) and the incremental effectiveness (E) are the two main parameters of pharmacoeconomics and cost-effectiveness analysis, along with the willingness-to-pay threshold (). The decision rule (eg, in the case of a favourable pharmacoeconomic result) is (C/E) < (equation 1), if based on the ICER, or (Ex–C) > 0 (equation 2), if based on the NMB. Likewise, an unfavourable pharmacoeconomic result is when (C/E) > or when...

Publisher URL: http://heart.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/103/21/1746

DOI: 10.1136/heartjnl-2017-311816

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