Cost utility analysis for knee osteoarthritis

Purpuse of this study is to calculate the cost of the treatment of osteoarthritis to the government and to the patient, to find out changes in pre and after treatment life quality, to digitize life quality and measure health benefits by QALY, measure life and cost quality values and cost effectiveness ratios, find out efficiency of the treatment when taking cost of the treatment to the government and to the patient into consideration.Pre and after intervention life quality values have been measured via vignettes in terms of QALY by using EQ-5D scale and cost benefit ratios are determined. Diagnoses and treatment protocol of the osteoarthritis is the main indicator of the cost. Protocol for the diagnosis and treatment of osteoarthritis, has been obtained among WHOs 88 disease curing protocol. Osteoarthritis treatment costs have been included to the analysis by taking existing report information .Respondents have been questioned via vignetttes in term of QALY unit about values on life quality. An average osteoarthritis patient suffers from knee disturbance has been defined and respondents are asked to evaluate their life quality by EQ-5D. Using UK tariff pre-intervention life quality by has been measured as 0,31 QALYs and multiplied by 15 year life expectancy. Pre-intervention utility value of a person is measured as 4,7 QALYs. Findings on after intervention life quality have also been measured by UK tariff and calculated as 0,54 QALYs. And the result is multiplied 15 year average life expectancy which is indicated in related literature. After intervention life quality is 8,2 QALYs. Additional effectiveness gained after intervention is 3,4 QALYs.According to the project on disease burden and cost efficiency in Turkey, cost of the osteoarthritis treatment (knee disturbance) is $ 378,97. Accordingly, excluding social costs, cost/ QALYs is $ 111.4. However, social costs undertaken by the patients should also be taken into consideration. During treatment process, patiens may loose their jobs, decrease their labor supply and bear some extra costs such as transportation. A patient should pay cost/QALYs $120.8 including social costs. This conclusion indicates that personal payments made by the patients are a part of the total costs. Consequently, osteoarthritis has been observed more frequently in the society as a result of an increase in life period. It can be said that curement of the desease is cost/benefit in scope of WHO.