Measuring the cost-effectiveness of treatments for people with multiple sclerosis: Beyond quality-adjusted life-years. (March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hawton, Annie; Goodwin, Elizabeth; Boddy, Kate; Freeman, Jennifer; Thomas, Sarah; Chataway, Jeremy; Green, Colin
• Is Part Of: Multiple sclerosis. Volume 28:Number 3(2022)
• Page Start: 346
• Page End: 351
• Publication Date: 2022-03
• Subjects: Multiple sclerosis -- cost-effectiveness -- quality-adjusted life-years -- cost-effectiveness analysis -- health-related quality of life -- quality of life; Central nervous system -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Myelin sheath -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Inflammation -- Periodicals; Multiple sclerosis -- Periodicals; Central Nervous System Diseases -- Periodicals; Demyelinating Diseases -- Periodicals; Inflammation -- Periodicals; Multiple Sclerosis -- Periodicals; Système nerveux central -- Maladies -- Périodiques; Gaine de myéline -- Maladies -- Périodiques; Inflammation (Pathologie) -- Périodiques; Sclérose en plaques -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 616.834005
• DOI: 10.1177/1352458520954172
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1352-4585

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.