Dutch Guideline for Economic Evaluations in Healthcare
This guideline sets the standard for how economic evaluations of health technologies should be conducted in the Netherlands. It requires analyses to consider all costs and benefits to society, use a specific method for valuing productivity losses, and apply adjusted cost-effectiveness thresholds based on disease severity.
At a glance
Use when
Conducting or reviewing economic evaluations for health technology assessment in the Netherlands, especially for reimbursement decisions
Avoid when
Working in countries with different HTA frameworks or when a healthcare system perspective is explicitly required
Inputs
Healthcare costs, productivity costs (friction-cost method), health-related quality of life data, disease severity classification, epidemiological and clinical effectiveness data
Outputs
Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), cost-benefit analyses from a societal perspective, severity-adjusted value judgments
How it works
Mandated by Zorginstituut Nederland (ZIN), this reference-case guideline specifies the use of a societal perspective in economic evaluations, the friction-cost method for estimating productivity costs, and severity-weighted cost-effectiveness thresholds to inform healthcare decision-making in the Netherlands.
- HTA domains
- Clinical Effectiveness, Costs & Economic Evaluation, Patient and Social Aspects, Aspects Beyond HTA
- Assumptions
- The societal perspective captures all relevant costs and benefits; friction-cost method reflects real labor market dynamics; severity adjustment justifies differential cost-effectiveness thresholds
- Strengths
- Comprehensive societal perspective improves accountability; friction-cost method reduces overestimation of productivity losses; severity adjustment supports equity-sensitive decision-making
- Limitations
- Friction-cost method may underestimate productivity impact in tight labor markets; societal data requirements increase complexity and data needs; limited transferability to other healthcare systems
- Also known as
- ZIN Reference Case, Dutch Reference Case, Zorginstituut Nederland Guideline
Questions this answers
- › What perspective should be used in economic evaluations in the Netherlands?
- › How should productivity costs be included in cost-effectiveness analyses?
- › How does disease severity influence cost-effectiveness thresholds?
- › What methods are required for discounting costs and health outcomes?
- › Which health outcome measures are preferred in economic evaluations?
- › How should uncertainty be addressed in economic models?
References & sources
Similar by meaning
- Guidelines for the Economic Evaluation of Health Technologies: Canada — 4th Edition
- Dutch Costing Manual (Kostenhandleiding) and reference prices
- Revised methods guide for economic evaluation studies of health technologies in Portugal
- Guidelines for the Economic Evaluation of Health Technologies in Ireland (HIQA)
- Spanish recommendations on economic evaluation of health technologies (López-Bastida guideline)
Beta record. Based on the original catalogue summary; primary-source enrichment pending.