Median-based incremental cost-effectiveness ratios with censored data

J Biopharm Stat. 2016;26(3):552-64. doi: 10.1080/10543406.2015.1052482. Epub 2015 May 26.

Abstract

Cost-effectiveness is an essential part of treatment evaluation, in addition to effectiveness. In the cost-effectiveness analysis, a measure called the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) is widely utilized, and the mean cost and the mean (quality-adjusted) life years have served as norms to summarize cost and effectiveness for a study population. Recently, the median-based ICER was proposed for complementary or sensitivity analysis purposes. In this article, we extend this method when some data are censored.

Keywords: Censoring; ICER; cost-effectiveness analysis; median.

MeSH terms

  • Cost-Benefit Analysis*
  • Data Interpretation, Statistical
  • Health Care Costs*
  • Humans
  • Quality-Adjusted Life Years