Abstract
The oft-applied assumption in the use of Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) in economic evaluation, that all QALYs are valued equally, has been questioned from the outset. The literature has focused on differential values of a QALY based on equity considerations such as the characteristics of the beneficiaries of the QALYs. However, a key characteristic which may affect the value of a QALY is the type of QALY itself. QALY gains can be generated purely by gains in survival, purely by improvements in quality of life, or by changes in both. Using a discrete choice experiment and a new methodological approach to the derivation of relative weights, we undertake the first direct and systematic exploration of the relative weight accorded different QALY types and do so in the presence of equity considerations; age and severity. Results provide new evidence against the normative starting point that all QALYs are valued equally.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 102303 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Journal of Health Economics |
| Volume | 70 |
| Early online date | 13 Feb 2020 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2020 |
Keywords
- QALYs
- QALY types
- relative weights
- priority setting
- equity
- discrete choice experiments
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Health Policy
Documents and Links
- Lancsar, E. et al (2020) The relative value of different QALY types
© 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
