ArticleHealth economics review2026
Cost-effectiveness analysis of intensive and emerging rehabilitation therapies in children with cerebral palsy: an observational cohort study using real-world evidence and microsimulation modelling.
Article in Health economics review, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
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Abstract
objectiveTo evaluate the short- and long-term cost-effectiveness of integrating Intensive and Emerging Rehabilitation Therapies into standard care for children with cerebral palsy (CP), compared to standard care alone, through a hybrid approach combining prospective real-world data analysis and individual-level microsimulation over a lifetime horizon.
methodsA prospective observational cohort of 148 children with CP, stratified by Gross Motor Function Classification System levels, was followed over 12 months. Short-term incremental costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were estimated using seemingly unrelated regression equations (SURE) based on EQ-5D-Y scores. Costs were assessed from the Spanish public healthcare system perspective. To extrapolate long-term outcomes, an individual-level microsimulation model projected costs and QALYs over a 30-year horizon, applying a 3% annual discount rate.
resultsCompared with standard treatment, Therasuit and intensive physiotherapy demonstrated the most favourable cost-effectiveness profiles. Therasuit generated 0.222 additional QALYs at an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of €18,830/QALY, while intensive physiotherapy generated 0.216 additional QALYs at €31,772/QALY. Other therapies, including occupational therapy and hippotherapy, were dominated by standard care. Long-term microsimulation provided additional insights beyond short-term findings by capturing delayed benefits, which in some cases led to different cost-effectiveness rankings among therapies. Therasuit produced 5.49 additional QALYs at an ICER of €12,922/QALY compared to standard care, and intensive physiotherapy produced 4.92 additional QALYs at €25,789/QALY. Homeopathy and the Petö Method were cost-effective under broader willingness-to-pay thresholds but were less efficient.
conclusionsTherasuit and intensive physiotherapy are high-value options when added to standard care for children with CP. Findings support prioritising Intensive and Emerging Rehabilitation Therapies using real-world evidence and modelling to guide sustainable healthcare decision-making.
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