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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Jul 1.
Published in final edited form as: Ear Hear. 2013 Jul-Aug;34(4):402–412. doi: 10.1097/AUD.0b013e3182772c66

Table 5.

Cost-Utility and Sensitivity Analysis

Cost-Utility Ratios Total Lifetime
Cost without
Educational
Savings
Total Lifetime Savings with
Educational Savings
QALYs Gained Cost/QALY
without
Educational
Savings
Interpretation
<18 months $160,453 $31,252 10.7 $14,996 Dominated
18-36 months $160,638 $10,217 9.0 $17,849
36+ months $161,056 $6,680 8.4 $19,173
Sensitivity Analysis <18 months 18-36 months 36+ months
Variables Base Estimate Range of Estimate (Best to
Worst)
Cost-Utility Cost
per QALY (Base
$14,996)
Cost-Utility Cost
per QALY (Base
$17,849)
Cost-Utility Cost per
QALY (Base
$19,173)
Discount Rate 3% 0 - 6 $10,716-$29,005 $12,761-$34,504 $13,723-$37,018
Direct Medical cost:
 Frequency of
 Lifetime audiology
1/year 1 to 4 $14,996-$19,060 $17,849-$22,681 $19,173-$24,351
 Reimplantation cost $9,370 $0-$40,164 $15,165-$14,944 $18,103-$17,771 $19,045-$19,596
 Extended Warranty $400/year $300-$500 $14,718-$15,273 $17,519-$18,178 $18,820-$19,526
 Frequency of
 device upgrade
7/Lifetime 5-10/Lifetime $14,660-$15,452 $17,448-$18,387 $18,740-$19,615
 Total lifetime
 medical cost
$111,968 $55,984-$167,953 $9,801-$20,190 $11,673-$24,024 $12,557-$25,790
Time off Work, hours
per visit
4 3-5 $14,304-$15,686 $17,026-$18,669 $18,292-$20,053
Parental salary, hourly
wage
$23.50 18-30 $14,322-$15,792 $17,048-$18,795 $18,315-$20,187
Non-implanted health-
utility
0.38 0.26-0.56 $11,143-$23,254 $14,472-$30,892 $19,173-$35,012