A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine affirmed the cost-effectiveness of total knee replacements in elderly patients, finding that the procedure cost $18,300 per quality-adjusted life year (or QALY) gained. The threshold for cost-effectiveness is usually estimated at about $50,000 per QALY.
To determine these outcomes, researchers populated a computer model with Medicare claims data and cost and outcomes data from a variety of sources. The study's authors also noted that procedures at high-volume centers offered even more value per dollar than low-volume centers.
This study offers a persuasive result for the value of TKAs in the Medicare population, and reserach of this type is likely to become more common in the near future. As part of this spring's stimulus package, President Obama set aside $1.1 billion for comparative effectiveness research, though some companies have taken a proactive approach to concerns about value in the healthcare industry. NuVasive, for one, has specified that they are including economic markers in their ongoing clinical research.
