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BMJ Publishing Group, BMJ, 7514(331), p. 446-448, 2005

DOI: 10.1136/bmj.331.7514.446

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Need for differential discounting of costs and health effects in cost effectiveness analyses

Journal article published in 2005 by Werner B. F. (Werner) Brouwer ORCID, Louis W. (Louis Wilhelmus) Niessen, Maarten J. (Maarten) Postma, Frans F. H. (Frans) Rutten
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

New National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines change the discount rates for costs and effects from 6% and 1.5% respectively to 3.5% for both. This change gives a lower weight to future health effects and may worsen the cost effectiveness ratio, especially for preventive interventions. Differential discounting is more appropriate when non-monetary outcomes like QALYs are used NICE should return to a 1.5% discount rate for effects.