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The importance of age in allocating health care resources: does intervention-type matter?

Publication ,  Journal Article
Johri, M; Damschroder, LJ; Zikmund-Fisher, BJ; Ubel, PA
Published in: Health economics
July 2005

Recent proposals to reform cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) by weighting health benefits [(Quality-adjusted life-years) QALYs] by recipients' age are based on studies examining age-related preferences in life-saving contexts. We investigated whether the perceived importance of age in resource allocation decisions differs among intervention-types.160 individuals were recruited from a cafeteria of a university medical centre and asked to choose between hypothetical health care programmes. Scenario A described two programmes treating life-threatening conditions and Scenario B two programmes providing palliative care. Programmes were identical except in average patient age (35 versus 65). Respondents also directly rated the importance of age for allocating resources for six types of interventions.Responses for the life-saving scenario favoured younger age groups while those for the palliative care scenario showed no age preference. The difference between scenarios was statistically significant. When directly rating the importance of age in allocating treatment resources, people placed greatest importance on age in treating infertility and life-saving, and least importance in treating depression.The importance people place on age as a resource allocation criterion depends on the clinical context. As QALYs serve as a common measure of health benefits for all intervention types, age weighting of QALYs is premature.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Health economics

DOI

EISSN

1099-1050

ISSN

1057-9230

Publication Date

July 2005

Volume

14

Issue

7

Start / End Page

669 / 678

Related Subject Headings

  • Quality-Adjusted Life Years
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Health Services
  • Health Priorities
  • Health Policy & Services
  • Health Care Surveys
  • Health Care Rationing
  • Female
 

Citation

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Johri, M., Damschroder, L. J., Zikmund-Fisher, B. J., & Ubel, P. A. (2005). The importance of age in allocating health care resources: does intervention-type matter? Health Economics, 14(7), 669–678. https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.958
Johri, Mira, Laura J. Damschroder, Brian J. Zikmund-Fisher, and Peter A. Ubel. “The importance of age in allocating health care resources: does intervention-type matter?Health Economics 14, no. 7 (July 2005): 669–78. https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.958.
Johri M, Damschroder LJ, Zikmund-Fisher BJ, Ubel PA. The importance of age in allocating health care resources: does intervention-type matter? Health economics. 2005 Jul;14(7):669–78.
Johri, Mira, et al. “The importance of age in allocating health care resources: does intervention-type matter?Health Economics, vol. 14, no. 7, July 2005, pp. 669–78. Epmc, doi:10.1002/hec.958.
Johri M, Damschroder LJ, Zikmund-Fisher BJ, Ubel PA. The importance of age in allocating health care resources: does intervention-type matter? Health economics. 2005 Jul;14(7):669–678.
Journal cover image

Published In

Health economics

DOI

EISSN

1099-1050

ISSN

1057-9230

Publication Date

July 2005

Volume

14

Issue

7

Start / End Page

669 / 678

Related Subject Headings

  • Quality-Adjusted Life Years
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Health Services
  • Health Priorities
  • Health Policy & Services
  • Health Care Surveys
  • Health Care Rationing
  • Female