Minimum cost effective difference
Minimum cost effective difference (MCED) serves as the smallest improvement in an outcome instrument that is associated with a cost-effective response to surgery. With the use of cost-effective anchor of < $50 000/quality-adjusted life year (QALY), MCED after transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion was 4 points for visual analog scale for low back pain, 3 points for visual analog scale for leg pain, 22 points for Oswestry Disability Index, and 0.31 QALYs for EuroQol 5D 1)
1)
Parker SL, McGirt MJ. Determination of the minimum improvement in pain,
disability, and health state associated with cost-effectiveness: introduction of
the concept of minimum cost-effective difference. Neurosurgery. 2015 Mar;76 Suppl
1:S64-70. doi: 10.1227/01.neu.0000462079.96571.dc. PubMed PMID: 25692370.