Quality adjusted life years in the time of COVID-19

Hall, J; Viney, R

Quality adjusted life years in the time of COVID-19

Hall, J

Viney, R

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Publisher:: CSIRO PUBLISHING
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Australian Health Review, 2021, 45, (1), pp. 12-13
Issue Date:: 2021-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Hall, J https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2191-0543
dc.contributor.author	Viney, R https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0039-9635
dc.date.accessioned	2022-01-25T04:43:36Z
dc.date.available	2021-01-11
dc.date.available	2022-01-25T04:43:36Z
dc.date.issued	2021-01-01
dc.identifier.citation	Australian Health Review, 2021, 45, (1), pp. 12-13
dc.identifier.issn	0156-5788
dc.identifier.issn	1449-8944
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/153563
dc.description.abstract	The quality adjusted life year (QALY) as a basis of valuing additional expenditure on health is widely accepted. Although early in the COVID-19 pandemic, several commentators called for a similar approach in resolving trade-offs between economic activity and reducing the burden of COVID-19, this has not occurred. The value of a QALY has not been used to deny all intervention, as the rule of rescue attests. Further, while there was no other way of managing the pandemic, there were other means available to mitigate the economic losses. Now that vaccine programs have commenced in several countries, it is interesting to consider whether economic evaluation should now be applied. However, the recognised complexities of the evaluation of vaccines, plus the challenge of measuring opportunity costs in the face of an economic recession and the severity of the consequences of an outbreak even though the probability of transmission is exceedingly low, mean its use will be restricted. COVID-19 has changed everything, even the way we should think about economic evaluation.
dc.format	Print
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	CSIRO PUBLISHING
dc.relation.ispartof	Australian Health Review
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1071/ah21010
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	1110 Nursing, 1117 Public Health and Health Services, 1605 Policy and Administration
dc.subject.classification	Public Health
dc.subject.mesh	Australia
dc.subject.mesh	COVID-19
dc.subject.mesh	Cost-Benefit Analysis
dc.subject.mesh	Health Care Costs
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Pandemics
dc.subject.mesh	Quality-Adjusted Life Years
dc.subject.mesh	SARS-CoV-2
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Quality-Adjusted Life Years
dc.subject.mesh	Cost-Benefit Analysis
dc.subject.mesh	Health Care Costs
dc.subject.mesh	Australia
dc.subject.mesh	Pandemics
dc.subject.mesh	COVID-19
dc.subject.mesh	SARS-CoV-2
dc.title	Quality adjusted life years in the time of COVID-19
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	45
utslib.location.activity	Australia
utslib.for	1110 Nursing
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services
utslib.for	1605 Policy and Administration
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHERE - Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2022-01-25T04:43:35Z
pubs.issue	1
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	45
utslib.citation.issue	1

Abstract:

The quality adjusted life year (QALY) as a basis of valuing additional expenditure on health is widely accepted. Although early in the COVID-19 pandemic, several commentators called for a similar approach in resolving trade-offs between economic activity and reducing the burden of COVID-19, this has not occurred. The value of a QALY has not been used to deny all intervention, as the rule of rescue attests. Further, while there was no other way of managing the pandemic, there were other means available to mitigate the economic losses. Now that vaccine programs have commenced in several countries, it is interesting to consider whether economic evaluation should now be applied. However, the recognised complexities of the evaluation of vaccines, plus the challenge of measuring opportunity costs in the face of an economic recession and the severity of the consequences of an outbreak even though the probability of transmission is exceedingly low, mean its use will be restricted. COVID-19 has changed everything, even the way we should think about economic evaluation.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/153563