Walk with ease for knee osteoarthritis: A cost-effectiveness analysis

Objective: The Walk With Ease (WWE) program was developed by the Arthritis Foundation to help people with arthritis learn to exercise safely and improve arthritis symptoms. We sought to establish the value of the WWE program. Methods: We used the Osteoarthritis Policy (OAPol) Model, a widely published and validated computer simulation of knee osteoarthritis (OA), to assess the cost-effectiveness of WWE in knee OA. We derived model inputs using data from a workplace wellness initiative in Montana that offered WWE to state employees. Our primary outcomes were quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and costs over a 2-year period, which we used to calculate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). The base case analysis was restricted to subjects who were inactive or insufficiently active (