Table 3.
Primary and deterministic sensitivity analysis results
| Total mean cost (£) | Total mean QALYs | ICER (£) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary cost-effectiveness results at 1 year | |||
| Low-dose prednisolone | 252 | 0.9427 | – |
| Placebo | 254 | 0.9424 | |
| Incremental difference | 2 | − 0.0003 | Dominated by prednisolone |
| Deterministic Sensitivity Analysis 1 | |||
| Low-dose prednisolone | 252 | 0.9431 | – |
| Placebo | 254 | 0.9427 | |
| Incremental difference | 2 | − 0.0004 | Dominated by prednisolone |
| Deterministic Sensitivity Analysis 2 | |||
| Low-dose prednisolone | 242 | 0.9433 | |
| Placebo | 249 | 0.9428 | – |
| Incremental difference | 7 | − 0.0005 | Dominated by prednisolone |
| Deterministic Sensitivity Analysis 3 (one-way) | |||
| − 0.04 as negative disutility or utility gain applied to relapse event: | |||
| Low-dose prednisolone | 252 | 0.9462 | – |
| Placebo | 254 | 0.9462 | |
| Mean difference | 2 | < − 0.0001 | Dominated by prednisolone |
| 0.03 as disutility applied to relapse event: | |||
| Low-dose prednisolone | 252 | 0.9412 | – |
| Placebo | 254 | 0.9408 | |
| Mean difference | 2 | − 0.0004 | Dominated by prednisolone |
Deterministic Sensitivity Analysis 1 varied the method for deriving utility values (CHU-9D for ages 5–11 years, EQ5D for ages 12–18 years)
Deterministic Sensitivity Analysis 2 allowed monthly transitions between therapy groups
Deterministic Sensitivity Analysis 3 used different disutility values associated with a relapse (− 0.04; 0.03)
QALYs quality-adjusted life-years, ICER incremental cost-effectiveness ratio