Abstract

DARBA, Josep. Use of probabilistic methods in economic evaluation of health technologies. Gac Sanit [online]. 2006, vol.20, n.1, pp.74-77. ISSN 0213-9111.

The present article illustrates the advantages of probabilistic methods in health technology assessment. Using probabilistic distributions for parameters, these methods represent parameter uncertainty more effectively than deterministic models. The results of this simulation process represent the joint distribution of cost and effects in the cost-effective plane. More precisely, the cost-effectiveness ratio of each simulation is used to determine whether the ratio is cost effective in relation to the ceiling ratio. This kind of information is represented in the cost-effectiveness acceptability curve, which indicates the probability of a health technology being cost-effective for a particular quality-adjusted life year value.

Keywords : Probabilistic methods; Health technology assessment; Uncertainty.

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