Optimising health care within given budgets : primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in different regions of Sweden

This study investigated the consequences of applying strict health maximisation to the choice between three different interventions with a defined budget. We analysed three interventions or preventing cardiovascular diseases, through doctor's advice on smoking cessation, through blood-pressure-lowering drugs. and through lipid-lowering drugs. A state transition model has been used to estimate the cost-utility ratios for entire population in three different county Councils in Sweden, where the populations were stratified into mutually excluding risk groups. The incremental cost-utility ratios are being presented in a league table and combined with the local resources and the local epidemiological data as a proxy for need for treatment, All interventions with an incremental cost-utility ratio exceeding the threshold ratios are excluded from being funded, The threshold varied between 1687 EURO and 6192 EURO. The general reallocation of resources between the three interventions Was a 60% reduction of blood-pressure-lowering drugs with redistribution of resources to advice on smoking cessation and to lipid-lowering drugs. One advantage of this method is that the results are very concrete. Recommendations can thereby he more precise which hopefully will create a public debate between decision-makers, practising phsicians and patient groups.