Stochastic league tables: an application to diabetes interventions in the Netherlands

• Published in: Health economics Vol. 14; no. 5; pp. 445 - 455
• Main Authors: Hutubessy, Raymond C. W., Niessen, Louis W., Dijkstra, Rob F., Casparie, Ton F., Rutten, Frans F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.05.2005; Wiley Periodicals Inc
• Series: Health Economics
• Subjects: Clinical Protocols; Cost analysis; Cost benefit analysis; Cost effectiveness; Cost-Benefit Analysis - methods; cost-effectiveness analysis; Decision analysis; Decision Making; decision-making analysis; Diabetes; diabetes mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - complications; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - economics; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - therapy; Health economics; Humans; Intervention; League tables; Life Tables; Medical treatment; Models, Econometric; Monte Carlo Method; Netherlands; Policy making; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Primary Health Care - economics; Primary Health Care - standards; Quality-Adjusted Life Years; Stochastic models; Stochastic Processes; Studies; Treatment; Type 2 diabetes mellitus; Uncertainty; uncertainty analysis; Netherlands
• ISSN: 1057-9230; 1099-1050
• DOI: 10.1002/hec.945

The aim of this paper is to discuss the use of stochastic league tables approach in cost‐effectiveness analysis of diabetes interventions. It addresses the common grounds and differences with other methods of presenting uncertainty to decision‐makers. This comparison uses the cost‐effectiveness results of medical guidelines for Dutch diabetes type 2 patients in primary and secondary care. Stochastic league tables define the optimum expansion pathway as compared to baseline, starting with the least costly and most cost‐effective intervention mix. Multi‐intervention cost‐effectiveness acceptability curves are used as a way to represent uncertainty information on the cost‐effectiveness of single interventions as compared to a single alternative. The stochastic league table for diabetes interventions shows that in case of low budgets treatment of secondary care patients is the most likely optimum choice. Current care options of diabetes complications are shown to be inefficient compared to guidelines treatment. With more resources available one may implement all guidelines and improve efficiency. The stochastic league table approach and multi‐intervention cost‐effectiveness acceptability curves in uncertainty analysis lead to similar results. In addition, the stochastic league table approach provides policy makers with information on affordability by budget level. It fulfils more adequately the information requirements to choose between interventions, using the efficiency criterion. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.