Table 1 Relative advantages of net-benefit framework and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for presenting and interpreting results of cost-effectiveness analysis

Relative advantage criteria

Standard Incremental Cost Effectiveness Ratio (ICER)

Net Benefit Framework

Type of analysis

Descriptive analysis, and stratified analysis (by important covariates)

Regression analysis, and joint probability distribution with important covariates

Confidence interval

No

Yes

Requirement of contextually relevant threshold (ceiling ratio)

Yes, to assess if intervention is good value for money

No, hypothetical ceiling ratios can be plotted and probabilities of cost effectiveness calculated

Adjustment to covariates (important sub groups)

No

Yes

Variability explained by covariates

No

Yes

Relative advantages for interpretation

Simple point estimate, greater or lower than a ceiling ratio

Graphical presentation; illustration of alternative scenarios with different ceiling ratios