In cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) it is usually assumed
that a QALY is of equal value to everybody, irrespective of
the patient's age. However, it is possible that society
assigns different social values to a QALY according to who
gets it. In this paper we discuss the possibility of
weighting health benefits for age in CEA. We also examine
the possibility that age-related preferences depend on
the size of the health gain. An experiment was performed
to test these hypotheses. The results ...
In cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) it is usually assumed
that a QALY is of equal value to everybody, irrespective of
the patient's age. However, it is possible that society
assigns different social values to a QALY according to who
gets it. In this paper we discuss the possibility of
weighting health benefits for age in CEA. We also examine
the possibility that age-related preferences depend on
the size of the health gain. An experiment was performed
to test these hypotheses. The results assessing suggest
that the patient's age is a relevant factor when assessing
health gains.
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