Table 3.
Parameter estimates and number of smoking careers averted to reach cost-saving and cost-effectiveness estimates.
| Estimate | Symbol/Formula | Value | Source/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intervention costs | C | $162,056,543 | Table 1; text |
| Discounted lifetime treatment costs for smokers vs. non-smokers | T | ||
| Base case | $0 | [14] | |
| Upper estimate | $22,553 | [16] | |
| Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) saved per smoking career averted | Q | ||
| Base case | 1.05 | [20] | |
| Upper estimate | 1.77 | [21] | |
| Societal willingness to pay to save 1 QALY | W | 3 × $56,116 | 3 × U.S. per capita GDP (2015) [18] |
| Threshold and scenario | Formula | Smoking careers averted | |
| Cost-saving threshold (smoking careers averted [A] to be cost-saving) | A > C/T | ||
| Base case | Undefined | ||
| Upper estimate T | 7186 | ||
| Cost-effectiveness threshold (smoking careers averted [A] to be cost-effective) | A > C/(T + (Q × W)) | ||
| Base case | 917 | ||
| Upper estimate T | 813 | ||
| Upper estimate Q | 544 | ||
| Upper estimate T and upper estimate Q | 506 |