Table 3.
Base Case Results*
| Strategy | Number of Conventional MRIs per 1,000 | Number of Biopsies per 1,000 | Cost per Patient, $ | Incremental Cost, $ | Effectiveness | Incremental Effectiveness | Average C/E Ratio, $ | Incremental C/E Ratio, $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per case detected | ||||||||
| X-ray | 57 | 8 (1)† | 147 | 0.00553 | 26,496 | |||
| Rapid MRI | 87 | 10 (2)† | 282 | 135 | 0.00617 | 0.00063 | 45,720 | 213,927 |
| Cost per QALY | ||||||||
| X-ray | 57 | 8 (1)† | 406 | 0.00982 QALY | 41,390 | |||
| Rapid MRI | 87 | 10 (2)† | 535 | 128 | 0.01025 QALY | 0.00043 QALY | 52,161 | 296,176 |
*
All costs rounded to the nearest dollar, all effects rounded to five decimal places. Due to rounding, the reported cost-effectiveness (C/E) ratios do not exactly equal the ratio of reported costs and effects.
†
Number in parentheses represents the number of biopsies conducted on patients who do not have cancer-related LBP.
MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; QALY, quality-adjusted life year; LBP, low back pain.