WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR LUNG CANCER TREATMENT: PATIENT VERSUS GENERAL PUBLIC VALUES

• Published in: International journal of technology assessment in health care Vol. 31; no. 4; pp. 264 - 270
• Main Authors: Thongprasert, Sumitra, Crawford, Bruce, Sakulbumrungsil, Rungpetch, Chaiyakunapruk, Nathorn, Petcharapiruch, Sirinthip, Leartsakulpanitch, Jittrakul, Permsuwan, Unchalee
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, USA Cambridge University Press 01.01.2015
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Assessments; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disease; Economics, Pharmaceutical; Female; Financing, Personal; Generalized linear models; GNI; Gross National Income; Health; Health economics; Health insurance; Households; Humans; Lung cancer; Lung Neoplasms - drug therapy; Lungs; Male; Medical services; Middle Aged; Oncology; Patients; Quality of Life; Quality-Adjusted Life Years; Questionnaires; Side effects; Sociodemographics; Surveys and Questionnaires; Thailand; Therapy; Thresholds; Values; Willingness to pay; ISEW, Thailand; Pharmacoeconomics; Health economics; Willingness-to-pay; Cancer treatment; Lung cancer
• ISSN: 0266-4623; 1471-6348
• DOI: 10.1017/S0266462315000409

Objectives: Lung cancer has been the most common cancer since 1985, accounting for 12–13 percent of cancer cases worldwide. Newer targeted therapies with potential increased survival benefits may not be affordable to patients. Many countries use arbitrary thresholds to determine whether a medical intervention is cost-effective. As such, many effective, albeit expensive, therapies are not being reimbursed. To understand the value placed on effective therapies, this study evaluates the patient and public willingness to pay (WTP) for a quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) for lung cancer treatments using Thailand as an example. Methods: A total of 300 subjects responded to hypothetical lung cancer health states, described by three levels of severity and two levels of side effects, and provided their valuation of the level of quality of life and their WTP to improve from one state to another. Results: The patients with the lowest income and general public were willing to pay more than twice the threshold for acceptability in Thailand (US Dollar 5,123/QALY [Thai Baht 160,000/QALY]). This increased significantly by wealth category. Patients’ WTP was associated with quality of life, financial difficulties, health insurance, diarrhea, and wealth. Conclusions: The current study highlights the value patients and general public place on effective lung cancer therapies.