SynthesisPloS one2015
A systematic review of studies eliciting willingness-to-pay per quality-adjusted life year: does it justify CE threshold?
Synthesis in PloS one, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 61 papers, 14 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
61 citing papers in PubMed, 14 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Willingness to Pay per QALY: A Systematic Review of Demand-Side Valuations with a Focus on Age and Disease Severity.Applied health economics and health policy · 2026Pooled it
- Cost-Utility of Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Refractory Cardiogenic Shock: A Brazilian Perspective Study.Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia · 2024Pooled it
- Newer Pharmacologic Treatments in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Clinical Guideline From the American College of Physicians.Annals of internal medicine · 2024Guideline
- Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Community engagement processes in low- and middle-income countries health research settings: a systematic review of the literature.BMC health services research · 2023Pooled it
- Economic evaluation of psychological treatments for common mental disorders in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.Health policy and planning · 2023Pooled it
- A systematic review on the cost effectiveness of pharmacogenomics in developing countries: implementation challenges.The pharmacogenomics journal · 2022Pooled it
- Willingness to pay for a quality-adjusted life year: a systematic review with meta-regression.The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care · 2022Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Cost-Effectiveness Evaluations of Psychological Therapies for Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder: A Systematic Review.International journal of technology assessment in health care · 2019Pooled it
- European guidance for the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2019Guideline
- Cost-Effectiveness of Treatments for the Management of Bone Metastases: A Systematic Literature Review.PharmacoEconomics · 2018Pooled it
- On what basis are medical cost-effectiveness thresholds set? Clashing opinions and an absence of data: a systematic review.Global health action · 2018Pooled it
- Value of willingness to pay for a QALY gained in Iran; a modified chained-approach.BMC health services research · 2021Trial
- Cost-effectiveness analysis of a cluster-randomized, culturally tailored, community health worker home-visiting diabetes intervention versus standard care in American Samoa.Human resources for health · 2019Trial
- The cost of cancer care: how much would you pay for your drugs? Patient and oncology professional stakeholder opinions in Ireland.Irish journal of medical science · 2026Article
- Cost-effectiveness analysis of toripalimab and bevacizumab versus sorafenib for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in China.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Willingness to pay for a quality-adjusted life year in Iran: a systematic review.Cost effectiveness and resource allocation : C/E · 2026Review
- Cost-effectiveness of population-wide screening for intracranial aneurysms revisited in light of potential diagnostic developments.International journal of stroke : official journal of the International Stroke Society · 2025Article
1 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundA number of studies have been conducted to estimate willingness to pay (WTP) per quality-adjusted life years (QALY) in patients or general population for various diseases. However, there has not been any systematic review summarizing the relationship between WTP per QALY and cost-effectiveness (CE) threshold based on World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation.
objectiveTo systematically review willingness-to-pay per quality-adjusted-life-year (WTP per QALY) literature, to compare WTP per QALY with Cost-effectiveness (CE) threshold recommended by WHO, and to determine potential influencing factors.
methodsWe searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Psyinfo, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Center of Research Dissemination (CRD), and EconLit from inception through 15 July 2014. To be included, studies have to estimate WTP per QALY in health-related issues using stated preference method. Two investigators independently reviewed each abstract, completed full-text reviews, and extracted information for included studies. We compared WTP per QALY to GDP per capita, analyzed, and summarized potential influencing factors.
resultsOut of 3,914 articles founded, 14 studies were included. Most studies (92.85%) used contingent valuation method, while only one study used discrete choice experiments. Sample size varied from 104 to 21,896 persons. The ratio between WTP per QALY and GDP per capita varied widely from 0.05 to 5.40, depending on scenario outcomes (e.g., whether it extended/saved life or improved quality of life), severity of hypothetical scenarios, duration of scenario, and source of funding. The average ratio of WTP per QALY and GDP per capita for extending life or saving life (2.03) was significantly higher than the average for improving quality of life (0.59) with the mean difference of 1.43 (95% CI, 1.81 to 1.06).
conclusionThis systematic review provides an overview summary of all studies estimating WTP per QALY studies. The variation of ratio of WTP per QALY and GDP per capita depended on several factors may prompt discussions on the CE threshold policy. Our research work provides a foundation for defining future direction of decision criteria for an evidence-informed decision making system.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.