Guidelines for the Economic Evaluation of Health Technologies: Canada — 4th Edition
These guidelines explain how to do economic evaluations of health technologies for use in Canada. They set out standard methods, such as using a public-payer perspective, focusing on cost-utility, choosing appropriate timeframes, applying discount rates, and assessing uncertainty, to ensure evaluations are consistent and comparable for decision-making.
At a glance
Use when
Conducting economic evaluations for submission to CADTH or other Canadian HTA bodies; aligning modeling practices with Canadian reference case requirements; ensuring methodological consistency in cost-utility analyses for public reimbursement decisions.
Avoid when
Assessments requiring a global or multi-country perspective; evaluations focused solely on private-payer or out-of-pocket costs; when broader social value considerations beyond cost-utility are primary decision criteria.
Inputs
Health technology intervention and comparator data, cost data from public-payer perspective, health utility values, epidemiological and clinical effectiveness data, time horizon assumptions, discount rates.
Outputs
Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), cost-utility results, sensitivity analyses (probabilistic and deterministic), expected value of information analyses, transparent reporting of model structure and assumptions.
How it works
Developed by CADTH and CDA-AMC, this 4th edition (2017) establishes the Canadian reference case for economic evaluations in HTA submissions. It specifies methodological standards including a public-payer perspective, use of cost-utility analysis with QALYs, appropriate time horizon selection, 1.5% annual discounting for costs and health effects, and comprehensive probabilistic and deterministic sensitivity analyses to characterize uncertainty.
- HTA domains
- Costs & Economic Evaluation
- Assumptions
- The public-payer perspective is sufficient for decision-making; long-term health outcomes can be modeled using available evidence; QALYs are an appropriate measure of health benefit; discounting at 1.5% reflects societal time preference.
- Strengths
- Provides national consistency for HTA submissions; promotes transparency and comparability across evaluations; incorporates best practices in health economics; widely accepted by Canadian decision-makers.
- Limitations
- May not capture broader societal costs and benefits; limited guidance on patient and social aspects beyond economic models; focused primarily on public-payer perspective which may overlook other stakeholder impacts.
- Also known as
- CADTH Guidelines 4th Edition, Canadian Reference Case Guidelines, Guidelines for Economic Evaluation of Health Technologies Canada
Questions this answers
- › What perspective should be used in economic evaluations for Canadian HTA submissions?
- › Which type of economic analysis is recommended in the Canadian context?
- › How should costs and health outcomes be discounted over time?
- › What time horizon should be used in modeling?
- › How should uncertainty be addressed in economic models?
- › What are the standards for reporting economic evaluations in Canada?
References & sources
- paperDOI: none ↗
Similar by meaning
- Guidelines for the Economic Evaluation of Health Technologies in Ireland (HIQA)
- Dutch Guideline for Economic Evaluations in Healthcare
- Revised methods guide for economic evaluation studies of health technologies in Portugal
- Spanish recommendations on economic evaluation of health technologies (López-Bastida guideline)
- Hungarian Methodological Guidelines for Economic Evaluation of Healthcare Interventions
Beta record. Based on the original catalogue summary; primary-source enrichment pending.