Calculation of cost-effectiveness measures (EMB and ICERs) for the intervention in a hospital with 50 000 discharges per year: the estimated total cost, QALYs, and the cost-effectiveness results
| Total discharge | 50000 | Number of adverse events | QALY loss | Costs of adverse events (€) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit cost of the intervention per discharge (€) | 16.6 | |||
| Cost of the intervention (€) | 827900 | |||
| Willingness to pay (€) per QALY | 20000 | |||
| Rate of adverse event | 0.19 | 9500 | *0.775×9500=7365.1 | *1080×9500=10261714† |
| Attributable to handover errors | 0.333 | 3164 | 0.775×3164=2452.6 | 1080×3164=3417151 |
*From table 3.
†This assumes that the costs of non-preventable adverse events is the same as that used in the calculations for preventable adverse events—there is some evidence that preventable adverse events are more costly.33
EMB, monetary benefit; ICER, incremental cost-effectiveness ratio; QALY, Quality Adjusted Life Year.