Routledge Valuing Health in Practice: Priorities QALYs and Choice (Routledge Revivals)

This title was first published in 2002. Most of those working in health services are aware of scarcity and the need for choice, and many also know that health sector choices in the future may be made on a "cost per quality-adjusted-life-year" (QALY) basis. This volume explains health service choice, focusing in particular on the QALY success story, and the merits and drawbacks of this measure are explained. On the basis of some of the problems identified, a new QALY-based approach to resource allocation is developed, and other methods of priority setting are explained, ranging from heart surgery to Alzheimer's Disease. The author explains the problems of health sector choice from first principles, in an approach that should be particularly useful to healthcare professionals, pharmaceutical industry managers, and students of economics. Review ‘…highlights the various methods of making choices in the healthcare setting. One of the main measures i.e. the quality adjusted life year (QALY) is discussed in detail. The valuation of health in the European context is also reviewed. This book will be of interest to anyone involved in the area of health outcomes whether in the clinical or academic setting. It is a very interesting read.’ – Dr Michael Barry, National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, Dublin, Ireland ‘… a clear, topical and useful account of the use of economics in priority setting in the NHS. His book offers a nice guide to the uninitiated and set out clearly the challenges both in developing this approach and then using its results to change clinical behaviour.’ – Professor Alan Maynard, Department of Health Sciences, University of York, UK