Cost-effectiveness of anorexia nervosa in QALYs

Abstract

Background: The costs of treating eating disorders are often considered high.

Aims: The objective was to perform a cost-utility analysis to estimate the cost-effectiveness of treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN).

Methods: Thirty-nine patients entering treatment of AN completed the 15D health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) questionnaire before and 2 years after the start of treatment. Direct hospital costs were obtained. Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained were calculated and cost-utility assessed.

Results: Patients’ baseline HRQoL was severely impaired. During follow-up, mean HRQoL improved statistically significantly. The cost per QALY gained was €5296 (best-case scenario) or €64 440 (base-case scenario) (€11 559 or €71 600 discounted 3%) depending on the assumptions used in the analysis.

Conclusions: The cost per QALY was in the same range as that of many other interventions provided in specialized medical care and within the limits usually considered acceptable, indicating that the treatment of AN is cost-effective.

Keywords:

• HRQoL (health-related quality-of-life)
• QALY (quality-adjusted life years)
• economic evaluation
• anorexia nervosa
• eating disorders

Disclosure statement

Harri Sintonen is the developer of the 15D instrument. Otherwise the authors report no conflicts of interest with regard to any of the material presented in this article.