Cost-utility analysis

From the Health Economics Glossary

Cost-utility analysis (CUA) is a methodology of health economics that gives particular attention to the quality or preference of the health outcome produced. This is the main difference when compared to Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA). The health effects in a CEA are measured in terms of survival, while in CUA the survival time is weighted to take into account utility or preference, often expressed as quality adjusted life years (QALY) .

References

Drummond M, Sculpher M, Torrance G, O'Brien B, Stoddart G. (2006) Methods for the Economic Evaluation of Health Care Programmes (3th edition), Oxford University Press, Oxford