Dealing with discounting. An application to the cost-effectiveness of intracoronary thrombolysis with streptokinase.
By introducing discounting in the DEALE method, we reanalyze a recent publication on the cost-effectiveness of early thrombolytic therapy with intracoronary streptokinase after acute myocardial infarction. We show that failure to discount gains in life expectancy results in a serious overestimation of the cost-effectiveness of this technology.
Martens
L
L
Erasmus University.
van Doorslaer
E
E
D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D013300:Streptokinase / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015996:Survival Rate; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical / Q000191:economics; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000191:economics*; D026712:Value of Life
D013300:Streptokinase